


Royal

by Batsutousai



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Canonical Character Death, Dark!Harry, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-18
Updated: 2010-03-21
Packaged: 2017-11-03 01:42:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 38,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/375683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Batsutousai/pseuds/Batsutousai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once, magical Europe was ruled by one family. When that family fell, the Ministries rose. The lost heir and friends have spent four years at Hogwarts, and it's time for them to change their world, but is the world ready for them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Descendants

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaim Her:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. 
> 
> **A/N:** Just an idea that rather randomly popped into my head one evening. The idea is not quite the same – my bunny originally called for a Mary-Sue – but that doesn't make it any worse. I hope.
> 
> This mostly follows the calendar for OotP as it is on the Lexicon, for the specific dates, rather than the actual calendar for 1995-96, which is what I usually do. I _would_ have used the actual calendar, but by the time it became an issue, I'd already drafted a calendar using the one on the Lexicon as a basis, so that's the one I'm following. Sorry.

_'The entirety of magical Europe was ruled by a royal family until about the 14th century. A number of Dark Lords were coming to power in the 1380s, and they didn't appreciate being held back by the laws of the royalty. Three Dark Lords put their differences over land aside and joined together to destroy the royal family.  
'A band of Light wizards in the various lands under siege by the Dark finally managed to bring most of the Dark Lords down during the early 15th century. Without a royal family, the band of Light wizards created their own new government, which they called the Ministry of Magic, and was set in France. Britain, deciding a Ministry was a grand idea, created their own Ministry, followed by other countries of the continent.  
'However, the royal family left behind a promise, that, "One day, the royalty of Europe will rise again, and with friends of Dark and Light, shall bring equality to all." With that promise in mind, all Ministries of Magic have put a clause into their creation, which states that, once the royal family rises again, they will bow to his will.'_

Ron snorted into his hand and Hermione gave him a dirty look. Harry rolled his eyes at the byplay, then asked, "Hermione, that's very interesting and all, but, what's it got to do with us?"

"Clearly," Ron declared with a glint in his eyes reminiscent of his twin brothers, "Harry's status as The Boy Who Lived makes him the best candidate for royalty."

Hermione gave Ron a withering look even as Harry snorted quietly into his History notes. Madam Pince's loud clearing of her throat calmed them all down and had their noses back in their notes.

"I'm not saying it has anything to do with us," Hermione said, after checking to make sure the librarian had left to stare down another rowdy group of students. "It's just interesting. Professor Binns has never mentioned a royal family before today."

"We'll have to take your word for that last," Ron commented with a shrug.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "We end up catching up on our sleep, rather than listening like you."

Hermione huffed. "I'm surprised you two managed to stay awake _today_ , personally!"

"There was a part of us that knew you'd need someone to talk to about Binns' weird change of subject," Ron joked.

Hermione huffed again and looked back at the book on the table in front of her. "Maybe he knows it'll be on our OWLs," she decided at last.

Harry and Ron groaned.

-0-0-0-

"I don't know why we're making this potion," Ron grumbled to Harry, under the cover of bubbling cauldrons. "It's not like _we_ care how pure everyone's blood is."

Hermione shot Ron a grateful look around Harry's bubbling cauldron.

"He's doing it to be spiteful," Harry muttered, watching Snape to be sure the other man didn't overhear him. "That, and stroke Malfoy's ego."

"Quiet!" Snape called, glare particularly vicious when turned to Harry and his friends' corner of the room. The many quiet conversations silenced quickly and all eyes were obediently on their professor before he could take points, so Snape simply continued, saying, "Your potions should be a deep blue in colour. If they are not, vanish them now to save me the trouble." His eyes flicked to Neville, who looked rather like a kicked puppy with his down-turned expression of shame. "If you _can_ vanish them," Snape added, followed by the laughter of the Slytherins.

Ron sighed and waved his wand over the bright orange potion in his cauldron and it vanished. Harry's wasn't quite as dark a blue as Hermione's was, but the constipated look on Snape's face when he looked in the cauldron assured him that it was close enough. Hermione's perfect potion was simply ignored, as always, while Malfoy's potion across the way was praised. Loudly. Harry reached over and subtly put a calming hand on Ron's leg.

"Those of you who have not been required to vanish their potions will place seven drops of your blood into the potion in front of you. If you foolishly used your extra knife, use the sink to clean it off first. Once you've put your blood in, turn off the flame and stir the potion counter-clockwise seven times."

Harry and Hermione both traded nervous looks, then picked up their clean knives and nicked their fingertips. Almost in sync, they let the seven drops fall, then turned off the heat with a flick of their wands. Harry stuck his finger into his mouth after making sure Snape wasn't looking, while Hermione pulled out a muggle plaster and put it over the cut. Once certain no more blood would get into their potions, they picked up their stirring rods and started the stirring.

Malfoy's potion reacted first, and a pale approximation of the Malfoy and Black family crests appeared in the steam rising above his cauldron. Other Slytherins followed him, their family crests rising up to mix with Malfoy's, making them appear indistinct.

Then Hermione's potion reacted, and a crest with nothing more than a crown in the centre rose from her cauldron. Since they were sitting in the very back of the room, only Harry, Hermione, and Ron really saw the crest, and all were so surprised that they barely registered the Potter crest, then another, with the head of a howling black wolf, rising from Harry's cauldron.

"Impossible!" Malfoy suddenly shouted, pointing at the rapidly fading form of Harry's wolf. "Professor Snape, Potter must have cheated! That family's been dead for centuries!"

"I'm more worried about that crown than some wolf, personally," Ron muttered as Snape stalked back to their table. By this point, the entire room was looking back at their table.

Snape looked down at Harry's potion and narrowed his eyes. He took Harry's stirring stick and quickly stirred the potion seven times counter-clockwise. After a moment, the two crests rose from the potion again and a couple of the Slytherins traded appalled looks. Scowling, Snape turned around and stalked back to the front of the room. "Vanish your cauldrons and leave!" he ordered.

Harry and Hermione quickly vanished the contents of their cauldrons, then grabbed their things and left with Ron and the rest of the Gryffindors. The Slytherins stayed behind a bit, but before they got out of hearing range, the Gryffindors heard Snape shout, "OUT!" and the Slytherins fled.

Harry and Hermione traded looks around Ron on their way to their next class. They would be spending time in the library that night.

-0-0-0-

It didn't take them long to find a book on wizarding family crests, but Hermione's crown wasn't in it. Harry's wolf was, though, and it left the three friends staring at each other in barely concealed horror.

Ron broke the oppressive silence first with an attempted joke, "So, who's going to break it to the rest of the Light wizarding world that Harry's from a Dark family?"

"Maybe Voldemort will decide I'm not his enemy after all?" Harry said weakly, pulling off his glasses to rub at his eyes.

"Not bloody likely, mate, but it was a good try," Ron replied.

"Why is it always me, anyway?" Harry grumbled.

"You're just special that way," Ron cheerfully explained.

"And it's not just you this time," Hermione commented, still flipping hurriedly through the book on family crests. "Oh, I wish I knew what it _was_. I thought I was _muggleborn_."

"So did _we_ ," Ron helpfully commented.

Harry tapped his chin thoughtfully, then shot a pensive look towards where Madam Pince was staring down a couple of Hufflepuff first-years. "I wonder..."

"Harry?" Ron asked, cocking his head to one side. Next to him, Hermione paused her flipping to glance up as well.

Wordlessly, Harry rose and walked over to the strict librarian, looking rather like he was walking to his doom. When he reached her, he whispered, "Madam? If I might borrow you?"

Madam Pince turned piercing grey eyes on the friend of one of her favourite students and said, "Yes, Mr Potter?"

Harry swallowed. "Madam, we came across a certain crest in some of Hermione's extra reading and we're not sure what it's for. We can't find it in the book of family crests, so I was hoping you knew something."

Madam Pince blinked. "The only crest not in that book is the crest of the magical royal family, Mr Potter."

Harry's eyes widened. "A crown, on a blue field?"

"That would be the one. I'm surprised Mr Weasley didn't recognize it on sight – the Old families usually do."

Harry grimaced. "I'm not. Surprised, that is. Well, thank you very much, Madam. You've saved Hermione's hair quite a bit of tugging."

Madam Pince nodded and turned back to the errant first-years, leaving Harry to return to his table shakily.

"Well, what did you two talk about?" Hermione hissed as soon as Harry got back.

"Brave, brave, Potter," Ron muttered, shaking his head in awe.

Harry ignored Ron and dropped into his seat, not sure how to break the news to his two best friends.

"Harry?" Hermione whispered pleadingly.

Harry met the bright brown eyes of his friend and swallowed. "Well, your Majesty, remember that prophecy from the other day?"

Hermione paled drastically while Ron snickered. "Good one, Harry."

"Friends of Dark and Light," Hermione whispered, looking between the grim-faced Harry and the smiling Ron.

Ron's smile died when it seemed Harry hadn't been joking. "Mate?" he practically squeaked.

"Madam Pince," Harry said softly, "told me that the only crest not in that book – a crest of only a crown on a blue field – is that of the royal family."

"You're not joking, are you?" Ron whispered, eyes wide.

Hermione swallowed and looked back down at the book before her with trepidation. "Now what?"

"Bloody hell, Hermione!" Ron whispered heatedly, "You can do anything you want, now! You can kick Umbridge out of the school and take over! You can make sure the entire world knows the truth about You-Know-Who being back!"

"Harry?" Hermione whispered, ignoring their red-headed friend.

Harry rubbed at his face, then met the brown eyes that were pleading for his help, for his assurances, for _some idea_ of what to do. And Harry found himself with nothing to give. He closed his own eyes against that terrified gaze and tried to _think_.

 _'The royal family was a step above the other people of the time,'_ Harry recalled Binns saying. _'When someone needed an answer, they went to the royal family, for they were just and kind and didn't discriminate based on race. They are the reason the Goblin Wars of the 1200s were ended with little bloodshed.'_

Harry opened his eyes again and met the brown orbs across from him. "We're going to wait to announce you," he decided, green eyes burning. "We're going to train you to be able to take over this world, even if it means forgetting about homework for a while."

Hermione looked horrified, and Ron looked like Christmas had come early.

Harry smiled grimly. "Hermione, we're going to make you into a queen, so help me Merlin."


	2. The Truth About Muggleborns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad everyone likes that I made Hermione the royal gal! XD I'd hoped I was changing things up enough for everyone, and I certainly seem to have. ^.~  
> And, uhm, sorry. I hadn't realised Harry's Dark family name wasn't in the last chapter. *sweat* It's one I made up – more the fool I – and isn't anything special in regards to canon. Apologies.

The three friends spent the next months scouring the library for books on being proper and manners. Harry and Ron worked together to misplace Hermione's homework so she couldn't work on it and gave her books on posture and which fork to start with at a fancy dinner instead. Disgusted with her two friends' sabotage of her schoolwork, she made them study with her, saying that, if she was coming out to the world as their queen, her two best friends had best be as well-bred as her.

Ron had complained a lot, at the start, but Harry had simply nodded and read over Hermione's shoulder. She'd been suspicious of how easily he'd agreed, and cornered him one day to find out. Harry had nervously commented that, as the heir to two powerful families, he felt he should be able to handle himself in public forums, even if he hated it. Hermione had been so proud of his maturity, she had hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush an impressive shade of Weasley red.

On the other hand, Harry was quite pleased to note that Hermione's idea that Harry might teach a Defence seminar had been completely forgotten, as Hermione was quite busy enough trying to find the assignments Harry and Ron hid from her to make her work on the other lessons they were reading about. The training also kept the three from speaking out in Umbridge's class, as they were usually too busy thinking about other things to bother correcting her about things, so the scar on Harry's hand didn't get any worse.

During the first Hogsmeade visit of the year, the three friends had gone directly to the small bookshop in the village and bought the rather confused man's entire stock of books on propriety and had gone to talk it all over in The Three Broomsticks over butterbeer before making the long trek back to the castle without buying a single prank item or any candy.

-0-0-0-

Harry hadn't been sure when he'd get the chance to go to Gringotts, and the visit at Grimmauld Place, no matter how unfortunate the circumstances, had been the perfect chance. He took a chance while everyone thought he was moping and snuck out of the house on his broomstick, making a beeline for Diagon Alley under his cloak.

Once safe in the bank, Harry pulled off the cloak and hurried up to a teller. "I'd like to talk to an inheritance recorder, please," he said urgently.

The goblin looked him over with a scowl, then caught sight of the lightning bolt on the boy's forehead and nodded. "Follow me," he ordered before quickly leading the way into the back hallways and to a brightly coloured door. The goblin knocked once, then opened the door at a sound Harry hadn't been able to hear. "Mr Harry Potter here to see you, sir."

"Send him in," a scratchy voice called.

Harry was ushered into the stone office, where a fat goblin sat behind a huge desk covered in papers. The door closed behind him as Harry nervously took a seat.

The fat goblin folded his hands in front of himself and pierced Harry with a knowing look. "What can I do for you, Mr Potter?" he asked in the same scratchy voice that had ordered him in.

Harry took a deep breath. "I just recently learned that I was a member of the lost Kaizer family. In looking some things up with a friend, I found that there are often stipulations for Heirs of Old families, especially Dark ones. I'm wondering if there are any for myself."

"The Kaizer family?" the goblin whispered, eyes wide. "Do you mind if we do a blood test, Mr Potter? That family has been dead for almost six centuries."

Harry nodded and allowed the goblin to prick his finger and draw some blood, which he then dripped on a piece of parchment. Harry wordlessly stuck his finger in his mouth and watched the parchment for the family names he knew would appear.

Indeed, Potter and Kaizer both appeared, as well as Slytherin, with the stipulation that he was second to the current Heir. Harry scowled at that family, but otherwise ignored it. Considering the connection he shared with Voldemort and the fact that the man had used his blood to come back to life, Harry was rather unsurprised by the revelation that he was now an Heir of Slytherin.

The goblin eyed the last name. "Do you want the laws for Slytherin as well?" he asked, even as he tapped on his desk and two rolls appeared next to him.

Harry shrugged. "Sure."

A third scroll appeared on the desk, and the goblin opened it briskly. "As Second Heir, you have nothing to worry about at the moment. Are you aware of who holds the title of First Heir?"

Harry pursed his lips. "Tom Riddle."

The goblin nodded. "Once he is properly defeated, you will want to return and check up on the stipulations for the First Heir. Slytherin does not have a Lordship, so it won't be something for you to worry about."

Harry nodded his understanding. Slytherin had been a paranoid bastard; he would have made it so he was the last Lord of his family, so there was little chance of one of his children killing him for the title. After the man had died, his legacy would have made it too daunting for someone to claim the Lordship, and so it was left as simply a First and Second Heir.

The goblin pulled open another scroll as the scroll for Slytherin disappeared on his desk. "Potter has no stipulations that will affect you until you either come of age or are emancipated, at which time you will become the Lord of Potter, as the only living Potter."

Harry swallowed and nodded; because James had died, there was no Lord Potter at the moment, and Harry was the sole Heir. "What of Kaizer?"

The goblin finally picked up the last scroll and pulled it open. He blinked twice before looking over at Harry. "Who is your current legal guardian, Mr Potter?" he asked in a strange voice.

"Uhm, my aunt? She's a muggle. My mother's sister. Why?"

The goblin looked back at the scroll and read, " 'In the event that the First Heir should be of the age of fourteen or older and under the care of those that cannot suitably care for all his or her needs, the First Heir is hereby emancipated, unless there is a Lord of Kaizer to take them in. If there is no Lord, the First Heir is hereby declared Lord Kaizer and free of the government and its laws concerning underage magical children.' " The goblin looked back over at Harry, who looked gobsmacked. "Is your muggle aunt suitably caring for you, Mr Potter?"

Harry considered back to his childhood under the stairs and being forced to do all of the housework since before he could remember. Swallowing with difficulty, Harry shook his head. "No. Never."

The goblin looked a bit surprised at the addition to the admitted neglect and nodded. "Then, you are hereby emancipated and named Lord Kaizer and Potter."

Harry bit his lip and looked blankly at the form that appeared on the desk before him with a quill. A quick read-over showed it to be an emancipation form. "Shouldn't my–my guardian sign this? Not me?"

The goblin shook his head. "Your guardian in unfit, and no longer has say over your state of being. As Lord of both of your families, only you have the power to emancipate yourself. Sign it, Lord Potter."

Harry picked up the quill and inked it, then paused before signing it. "Who all will know of my new status?"

The goblin let out a frustrated noise. "Gringotts and yourself, Lord Potter. Who are you afraid will find out?"

"Everyone," Harry stated quietly. "The Ministry, the school..."

"Lord Potter, it is your duty to inform those outside this building as to your new status, not us. Besides, Gringotts does not follow Ministry laws; the information of our clients are for their eyes only."

Harry swallowed and signed his name quickly, before he could change his mind.

Almost immediately, the form and quill disappeared, only to be replaced by two gleaming rings of black and gold, as well as a tiny ring made of tarnished silver.

"The black ring," the goblin said, upon seeing Harry's blank expression, "is for the Lord Kaizer. The gold ring is meant for Lord Potter, though it has not actually been worn by a Lord Potter since your great-great-grandfather. The silver ring is for the Second Heir of Slytherin. The Heirs of Slytherin rarely come in here to claim their rings, as the family has been poor for almost three centuries and had no reason to come to a bank."

Harry nodded and slipped all three rings into a pocket. "Anything else I need?"

The goblin opened the Kaizer scroll again. "As your line has been supposedly dead for six centuries, there is an addendum here for you at the bottom. It states, 'For my Heir after the centuries of none, please keep your eye out for the royal family and help them back into power. We have long been their allies, and will rise and fall with them.' " The goblin eyed Harry's calm expression suspiciously. "Has the royal family returned, then?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. I'll help her, too. I've already sworn to."

The goblin's eyes widened and he tapped on his desk absent-mindedly. A new scroll appeared and he held it out to Harry with his other two family scrolls and the teen took them with a confused look. "Give that to Her Majesty. And tell her the goblins will stand by her."

Harry's eyes widened and he clutched the scrolls to his chest protectively. "I understand. I'll make sure she gets it."

The goblin nodded. "In that case, Lord Potter, I believe we are through here. You are free to use magic at your leisure now. Please feel free to visit either of your vaults on the way out."

"I believe I will. Thank you," Harry replied, standing and sketching a quick bow before turning and leaving the office.

Behind him, the goblin hurriedly started a letter to all his fellow bankers, letting them know that the royal family had re-emerged at long last.

-0-0-0-

"Harry James Potter! Where have you been?!" Hermione screeched as the young Lord flew back in through Buckbeak's window.

Harry held up his hands calmingly. "I was taking care of some business at Gringotts. I _did_ tell you and Ron that I wanted to go, right?"

Hermione huffed. "You couldn't have just asked the Order if someone would be willing to take you?"

Harry shook his head. "No. Look, before you start yelling again, this is for you, from the goblins. Does anyone else know I was gone?"

Hermione took the scroll and frowned at her friend. "No. I hadn't yet gone down to tell them; I figured I'd give you an hour to reappear before sending out a search party." She opened the scroll and froze at the salutation claiming that the scroll was for the royal family when it emerged again after its fall. "What–?"

"Shhh..." Harry whispered. "I'm going to go get Ron. Meet us in our room? There's a lot we need to talk about."

Hermione nodded dumbly and let Harry usher her from the room before the young Lord hurried down the stairs to get the other member of their trio.

When they were all in Harry and Ron's room, Harry quickly outlined everything that had happened at Gringotts and showed off his rings. Ron thought the whole thing was a great riot and borrowed the Potter ring while Hermione's eyes gleamed at Harry in a way that made the youngest member of the trio cringe.

Before Hermione could divulge her latest scheme, Ron commented, "You know, the way that scroll was worded, Harry, you're now above age. Since you could be emancipated at fourteen, and now you're fifteen..."

Harry blinked. "I'm not sure how much I want to join the Order right now, Ron. We've got more important things to think about."

Ron eyed his two best friends sadly. "You two do, but what about me? I'm the youngest son of the youngest son of the poorest Old family. Hermione's a queen and you're a Lord twice over. I'm just a joker next to you two," he commented as he handed Harry back his ring.

"That's not true!" Hermione snapped, standing. "Ronald Weasley, you're our best friend and a Light wizard! You're important to us!"

"You're also the best strategist I've ever met," Harry agreed softly. "Hermione may be the one who ends up having to lead this world, but we're the two people who have to stand under her and make sure she can do it. She can't rule the world without a strategist. And goodness knows what she'll use me for, but, Ron, we were in that prophecy for a reason, all three of us."

Ron bit his lip and nodded. "Right."

"Let's make a promise right now," Hermione decided. "Let's promise that, no matter what happens, we'll stand by each other until the end."

"Agreed," Harry said, grabbing Hermione's hand in his own and holding out his free hand to Ron, even as Hermione did the same thing.

Ron took their hands and smiled, eyes bright. "Agreed. Until the end."

-0-0-0-

All around Magical Europe, Old Lords were receiving letters with the Royal Crest on them, ordering them to a meeting of the Lords at the ancient chamber under Stonehenge on the Eve of Christmas, by the order of the royal family and the Lord Kaizer.

Some thought the letters to be a joke, but the magic that made them Lords required them to go, or forfeit their station. Some did forfeit, rather than believe this foolish tale. And that was why, that evening at dinner in the hospital, an opened and crumpled letter appeared on the table before Arthur Weasley with the Weasley family's Lord ring.

The room fell into silence as all in attendance stared in surprise at the letter. None were more surprised than the three who had sent the letters. They had invoked Old family magic to make sure everyone came, but this outcome was unexpected.

The three had decided that they needed to call a meeting of the Lords to announce Hermione's return. They'd set on it being the day before Christmas both so it would have more religious impact for those who were religious, and so they would be able to brew sufficient potion to age them enough to make the Lords believe the trio were able to rule their world in the Ministries' stead.

"I guess," Arthur whispered, "that my brother decided this was a hoax. But...why is his ring here, too?"

"Because," Harry said softly, ignoring the weight of the eyes of the entire room as they all turned to him, "he denied his right as Lord when he refused to answer a summons."

Arthur nodded heavily. "But, I can't go..." He glanced down at the snake bite that was slowly draining away his life.

"You can name a proxy," Ron pointed out, mouth full of food. "If you have a valid reason, anyone can go in your stead, you just have to trust them to talk for you."

"You two certainly know a lot about this," Arthur said, starting to feel a nagging suspicion about his youngest son and the boy's two friends. He'd heard from Molly that they'd been a lot more withdrawn during the holiday, and the Twins had reported that the three had been acting oddly since a few weeks into term. What were they up to?

Harry and Ron smoothly pointed at Hermione, who flushed. "Binns mentioned a royal family one day, so I decided to look it up. And Potter is one of the Old families; I thought Harry should know more about his family. Ron too."

Arthur shook his head in amazement. "Only you three. Well, if I need someone to go for me.... Molly?"

Molly shook her head. "Someone has to watch the children," she pointed out, "and Sirius has likely received his own letter."

Arthur glanced over the sea of hopeful faces. And then he realised that his youngest son wasn't looking hopeful; in fact, he was quietly watching the minor drama unfold with a fond smile. Next to him, his two best friends had calmly returned to their food. Once again, suspicion nagged at him.

"Well, Ron, since you and your friends seem to know so much about this, why don't you go in my stead?" Arthur finally said when his elder children had started to twitch.

Ron startled badly and turned to his two best friends. The three seemed to silently speak through their eyes, then Harry and Hermione both nodded and Ron turned back to his family, who had all watched the exchange with curious eyes. "If that's what you want, Dad, sure."

Molly narrowed her eyes at her youngest son and wondered when he'd suddenly matured, while the Twins started going on about Ron being the new Lord and, "Woe is us, having our little brother to order us around". Ron simply ignored them while he got up to take the letter from his father. As he took the letter, a small ring appeared on his left hand, where the Lord ring would sit, but much smaller. "The proxy ring," Ron murmured, surprised.

Harry and Hermione traded smiles. This would make getting Ron out of the house that much easier.

-0-0-0-

Christmas Eve, Harry and Hermione drank the potion up in Buckbeak's room, while Ron sat downstairs, watching Sirius pace. The Weasley proxy had been ordered to go with Sirius, for his own protection, so he wouldn't be taking the potion or have Harry cast some hastily mastered spells to protect his identity, like the two upstairs. Ron wouldn't even know what his two best friends looked like until he saw them in the chamber room under Stonehenge.

By the time Sirius had stopped pacing, Ron knew that his two friends were already gone. The two walked out to the back garden and waited for the letters, which doubled as portkeys, to activate and bring them to the secret meeting place that hadn't been used since the creation of the Ministries.

Once they appeared, both men smoothed their formal robes and took seats.

Lucius Malfoy walked up to them with a chilled look on his face and said, "I wasn't aware this gathering allowed outlaws and children."

"I am here as the proxy of Lord Weasley," Ron replied coldly. "And you should be quite aware that the Ministry's ruling on any man, especially a Lord, has no sway here." Ron smiled. "After all, Lord Malfoy, you're here, aren't you? And you have your outlawing Mark burned onto your forearm."

Next to him, Sirius smirked at the outraged face Malfoy wore. "I was under the impression that Malfoy wasn't an Old family," he commented.

"They're not. Not officially," Ron agreed, enjoying knowing things for once, especially things which taunted his father's long-time enemy. "The Malfoys married the last Heir to the Silurian family, who was a woman and unable to claim the Lordship due to her family's stipulations, but her family's Old status transferred to the Malfoy family, all the same. Lord Malfoy only holds that title because of his great-great-great grandmother."

"Wow, not an Old family except by chance? I wonder how my father let _that_ marriage happen." Sirius grinned cheerfully, referring to Narcissa, his cousin and Lucius' wife.

A sharp voice cut through the chatter before Malfoy could respond, "Will all the Lords and proxies take their seats?"

As people sat, everyone turned to the head of the room, where a sharp-eyed man in his mid-twenties stood. The man wore impeccable dark red robes with the Kaizer family crest emblazoned on one shoulder and three rings gracing his fingers. His black hair was long down his back and clasped into a neat ponytail, the form the Lords of Old preferred. Somehow, Harry had managed to hide his scar, and had changed his eyes to a dull reddish-brown.

Once silence had fallen in the room, Lord Kaizer nodded, eyes flickering briefly over to where Ron and Sirius sat. "I am Lord Kaizer," he stated coolly. "You have all been called here because of a prophecy, one which stated that the royal family would rise again. That prophecy comes true tonight. May I present to you all, Her Majesty, Queen Perdita of the royal family!"

Ron grinned at the name; they'd spent a lot of time agonizing over what to call Hermione when they announced her, as queens always had names known by the public, even if it wasn't their birth-given name. Hermione had eventually mentioned that her parents had named her for the queen in Shakespeare's _A Winter's Tale_. There was a young princess in that story, Perdita, who hadn't known she was a princess until nearly the end of the play. Hermione had felt that Perdita fit her better than the name Hermione at the moment, so they had agreed that her name as queen would be Perdita.

Ron's grin disappeared when he saw his best friend walk out next to Harry. Hermione wore a floor-length gown of pure white, with gloves past her elbows and a dainty necklace with her family crest about her throat. Her brown hair had been streaked through with red highlights and was pulled back into a tight bun, which was wound around a lock of free curls that fell down her back to the top of the gown. Her brown eyes were calm behind a makeup mask of light blues, which completely transformed her face into someone else's. A top her head sat a glittering silver crown, which Ron couldn't recall ever seeing before.

"Wow," he whispered, drawing an amazed chuckle from Sirius.

Hermione let Harry take her arm and the two held still as the entire congregation stood as one and got down on their knees. Hermione let out a strained breath and Harry squeezed her hand gently, eyes meeting the bright blue eyes of their other friend. What Harry wouldn't give to have Ron up there with them; it felt so wrong to be standing at the head of a room of bowing wizards and witches without the last member of their trio.

Hermione cleared her throat and smiled at the gathered people. "Please," she said softly, "return to your seats. We have much to discuss, and only one night to do it in. I'm sure you all want to get back to your families, goodness knows I would, so let's try and work through everything quickly."

A noise of assent travelled through the room as everyone once again sat.

Harry took over, as they'd rehearsed, "As it currently stands, Her Majesty is not ready to officially take over for all the Ministries, but we would like to change a couple of things that have been going horribly wrong since their creations."

"In the time of my ancestors," Hermione continued smoothly, "non-humans – goblins, werewolves, vampires, and the such – were given the same respect and understanding as humans. These days, they are scorned and labelled as creatures. Noble centaurs and sphinxes are taught to our children in classes about dangerous creatures and how one might go about protecting themselves against these beings. Even when they had less control over their monthly transformations, werewolves were treated as people, rather than the monsters society treats them as now."

"The betterment of the treatment of magical creatures is one of the things that _must_ change," Harry said, eyes narrowing at those in the crowd who wore disgusted looks on their faces at the thought of non-humans getting the same rights the humans enjoyed. "Another is the Ministry's tendency – particularly the British Ministry – of sticking their noses into places where they are not welcomed, nor wanted. I am speaking of Hogwarts."

"My ancestors," Hermione agreed, "made a statement during the opening of Hogwarts, that no public or private magical school would ever face outside interference, unless the school asked for it first. Headmaster Dumbledore never asked the British Ministry to step in, but they did. Other private and public institutions have, at one point or another during the past century, been meddled with by the local Ministry, despite all fights the Headmistress or Headmaster put up against the invasion. This meddling will stop. Now."

"These are the main things we are here to discuss today," Harry said, squeezing Hermione's hand gently. "There is also one more thing we must discuss, something which is very near and dear to British hearts."

"Voldemort," the two said together, smiling when half the room jumped and the other half twitched nervously in their seats. After weeks of rehearsal, Ron managed to suppress his instinctual twitch at the name and simply smiled calmly as he saw the faint look of panic on Malfoy's face.

A murmur suddenly started in one corner of the room and the two turned to it. "Lords? Is there something the matter?" Hermione inquired softly of the disturbance.

The Lord who had started the ruckus stood, brown eyes gleaming angrily. "The belief that You-Know-Who is back was proven to be a lie spread by Dumbledore and Potter, to put us all into a panic."

Hermione and Harry traded looks, even as Sirius stood up on the other side of the room and called, "Are you calling my godson a liar?"

Next to Sirius, Ron groaned and tugged on Sirius' robes. "Sirius, _sit_ ," he ordered, as surprise spread across the room at the convicted Lord's presence.

"Godson?" the other Lord snorted. "Everyone knows you're just out to kill the boy."

"That is _enough_." Harry demanded, silencing both Sirius and the other Lord with a flick of his holly wand. "Let me end this argument now, gentlemen, and please keep in mind that you cannot speak something you know to be a lie in this chamber while this court is in session." Harry took a deep breath, then said, "I have seen Voldemort, alive, with my own eyes. Recently. Yes, he's back. Yes, Potter and Dumbledore are telling the truth."

The room broke out in shouts and sounds of people panicking. Ron sighed and tugged Sirius back down into his seat. "I _did_ warn you," he commented to the Lord of Black as the man scowled and wordlessly freed himself from the spell.

Sirius huffed. "They're acting like a bunch of children."

Ron smiled and eyed Hermione, who was starting to look like she'd blow at any moment. Next to her, Harry looked resigned. The three friends had studied all of the spells on this chamber and Ron knew that, once Hermione had enough, she would put everyone in their places. Forcefully.

Finally, Hermione snapped, "That is _enough_!" and everyone who'd been up and arguing were thrown back into their chairs and found their mouths gone. Everyone turned to where Hermione stood apart from Harry, hands on her hips and looking more like the Gryffindor Prefect she was at school than the queen of the wizarding world. "Honestly," she huffed into the silence, "you're all behaving like a bunch of children."

Ron hid a smile behind one hand. That was their Hermione.

"I daresay that the Hogwarts students handled the news better than you just did," Harry commented drily, stepping forward, next to Hermione. "Now, are you all ready to face the music, as it were, like mature adults? Or do we all need to go back to the nursery?"

Slowly, the tension in the air calmed and, as the Lords regained their equilibrium, their mouths returned. Once sure that the room was calm again, Harry and Hermione traded looks, then set about discussing everything they felt needed to be covered, and making sure everyone would do their part to soothe the transfer over, starting with the two major points they had begun the meeting with.

-0-0-0-

Ron and Sirius got back late that night, both tired from the long talks. When they walked into the kitchen, they found the entire Weasley family and Remus Lupin, plus a brightly smiling Harry and Hermione – both of whom looked perfectly refreshed – seated around the kitchen table. Ron blinked at them, disbelieving, even as he walked over and sat down between his two friends. Ron didn't get the chance to ask why Harry and Hermione had been back before him and looking so well until after dinner, as the meal was spent discussing the meeting, in spite of Molly's complaints about letting the six non-Order members in on the discussion. (Sirius helpfully pointed out that Ron, one of said non-members, had been at the meeting.)

When they finally made their way up the stairs to bed, Ron grabbed Hermione's arm before she could go into the room she and Ginny shared. "Hey, Hermione, can we borrow you for a moment? Sorry, Ginny."

Hermione nodded and Ginny shrugged, so the elder girl continued down the hall to the boys' room and they all sat on the beds once the door was shut. "What's up, Ron?" Hermione asked, brown eyes dancing.

"You know what's up," Ron shot back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We made a stop by Gringotts before the meeting," Harry explained. "The goblins gave Hermione the family crown and a time-turner. No one was the wiser about our disappearance."

"Good thing, too," Hermione agreed, scowling. "The Twins wouldn't leave us alone. They seemed to think we were up to something."

"We _are_ up to something," Ron pointed out cheerfully. "Alright, I suppose I'm okay for now. We'll see you in the morning, Hermione."

Hermione smiled and gave both boys hugs before heading back to her own room.

Once both Ron and Harry were ready for bed and the lights were out, Ron asked, "What's it like, standing up there and being important?"

"Absolutely dreadful," Harry replied softly. "As bad as facing a dragon down for a fake egg. Or having to jump into a giant lake to get something that was taken from you and thinking your two best friends might have abandoned you in your time of need."

Ron swallowed and closed his eyes to the darkness. "I'm sorry."

Harry smiled sadly. "So am I."

There was a long silence and Harry was almost asleep when Ron's voice said, "You know I'll never abandon you again, right? Not you. And not Hermione."

Harry's lips curled with a true smile. "Thanks, Ron."

-0-0-0-

Umbridge did not go without a fight. In fact she fought so long, and so hard, that when the Christmas Hols were over, she was still there, fighting to keep her control in the school. Harry, Hermione, and Ron traded disgusted looks over the table at dinner and, that night, met up in the common room after everyone else had gone to bed.

"We have to do something," Hermione hissed, stabbing the Ministry-regulated book for Defence with her quill-sharpening knife. "She's going to make us all _fail_."

"Hermione, they can't fail you," Ron said with a hint of a smile, hoping to lighten the mood.

Harry tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps it's time for Her Majesty to make a public appearance?"

"I'm going to be stuck on the side-lines again, aren't I?" Ron grumbled good-naturedly.

Harry's smile was almost terrifying. "Not a chance."

The three huddled together and quickly sketched out a plan for the next morning at breakfast.

-0-0-0-

The Golden Trio were calmly eating their breakfast with a few of their year mates when the doors of the Great Hall slammed open and three imposing people stepped in, completely silencing the entire room.

Queen Perdita led the way in pale blue battle robes, the silver crown resting above hair that had been pulled tightly back so it was out of her way, in case a fight broke out. On her right was Lord Kaizer, who wore tight black battle robes and had tied his own hair back in much the same fashion as the Queen. On the Queen's left stood a man none of them had ever seen before. The man had short-cropped red hair and deep black eyes. He wore battle robes in white and carried a sword at his side.

Both men eyed the crowds of students coldly as they followed the Queen up to the dais, where Dumbledore and a number of the staff were standing to bow. Many of the students had also risen from their seats to bow as the Queen passed, including the trio, who didn't miss the irony of bowing to themselves.

As the procession reached the head table, Dumbledore straightened and asked, "To what do we owe this pleasure, Your Majesty?"

Hermione smiled faintly at the Headmaster. "I asked that the Ministry remove their claws from your school, Headmaster, and it seems they haven't." She glanced over at where Umbridge was furiously glaring at her. She hadn't bowed. "What do you have to say for your actions, Dolores Umbridge?"

"The Ministry has no reason to listen to someone who calls themselves a 'queen'. The royal family died off _centuries_ ago, girl. Everyone knows that," Umbridge spat.

Hermione just continued to smile while, next to her, Ron pulled out a scroll and recited, " 'In accordance with the last Will and Testament of King Arthur the Sixth, Head of the Royal Family of the Wizarding World, all Ministries will bow to the Will of the continuation of the Royal Family when it reappears. The Royal Family will be the only one able to take from the vault held by the goblins one Crown, gold or silver, and wear it upon their head without death. This Crown will have the Royal Crest burned into the brim, over the mark of the Royal Metal Smith.' Your Majesty, if you would?"

Hermione took off the crown and pointed to the royal crest, which was burned into the brim over a jewelled anvil.

"This statement," Ron continued, "comes from your own vaults in the Department of Mysteries, lent to Her Majesty by the Head of the Department in the hopes of expediting your removal from Hogwarts. It has been signed by all of the Ministries around Europe, and each Ministry has a copy. It has spells on it to keep it from ever being destroyed by muggle or magical means, and to keep it from being changed."

Hermione set her crown back on her head. "If you would please pack your bags, Madam Umbridge?"

Umbridge smiled smugly. "If I leave, who will teach Defence Against the Dark Arts?" she asked. "The entire reason the Minister sent me was because Dumbledore couldn't find anyone for the position."

"I believe, Madam," Harry broke in sharply, "that finding an applicant to fill any teacher's position has _always_ fallen to the Head of Hogwarts, and does not fall under the Ministry's jurisdiction, unless the Head requests their assistance. If such a development occurs, the Ministry should send in someone _competent_ in teaching the required subject, such as an auror. You, _Madam_ , barely managed an Acceptable on your OWLs in Defence, and _failed_ your NEWTs."

The hall filled with whispers at this announcement, and Umbridge turned a lovely shade of puce.

"If the Headmaster feels himself unable to find a replacement for you, Madam Umbridge, and wishes to ask the Ministry for their assistance in supplying an auror or someone equally qualified for the position, there will be ground rules placed down. Headmaster?" Hermione continued, despite the noise from the students.

Dumbledore's eyes were dancing in amusement. "Please, Your Majesty, what rules would you suggest?"

Hermione glanced over at Ron, who pulled out a small piece of parchment and handed it over. "The replacement will agree to not have any contact with the Ministry between the time they enter the school and when the year is over. The replacement's family will agree to the same. Also, the Headmaster has the power to deny anyone the Ministry suggests."

"One last thing," Harry said suddenly, then spun and sent a blasting curse at the wall of Ministry Decrees, carefully controlling the power so he didn't damage the building. As he turned back around, he smirked at the horrified Umbridge. "Those are no longer required."

"And they're ugly," Ron agreed. He and Harry shared smiles behind Hermione's back.

Hermione ignored them. "Do these meet your approval, Headmaster?"

"I believe they do, Your Majesty," Dumbledore agreed, beaming.

Hermione nodded, then turned to Umbridge. "Madam Umbridge, you have twelve hours to vacate the premises. If you have not vacated by then, we will return and you will be removed by force. Am I understood?"

Umbridge swallowed. "Rather."

"Then we will take our leave–"

"Actually, if I might impose some tea upon you in my office, Your Majesty?" Dumbledore hurriedly requested.

Ron and Harry traded sharp looks behind Hermione, then Harry stepped forward and met Hermione's gaze. "It is permissible," he finally said, turning back to the Headmaster. Next to him, Hermione smiled and handed the parchment back to Ron, who put it and the scroll in a bottomless pouch at his waist for safekeeping.

The three guests followed the Headmaster from the room, leaving behind a cacophony of voices.

Once in the office, Dumbledore supplied the three with tea, then looked at them over his glasses. "Professor Snape mentioned to me over the holiday that an interesting family crest came out of one Harry Potter's cauldron near the beginning of the term."

Harry grinned over his cup of tea. "Cheers, Professor."

Dumbledore smiled at the other two silent occupants, both of whom were smiling expectantly. "Miss Granger and Mr Weasley, I presume?"

"Indeed," Hermione agreed, while Ron reached forward and snatched a biscuit off the tray on the Headmaster's desk.

The Headmaster's smile faded. "Then, Miss Granger, you truly are of the royal line?"

Hermione set down her tea. "From the journals in my family vaults, as well as Harry's, we have deduced that a Seer warned the royal family of their impending doom almost three years before it occurred. Rather than run and hide, the Kaizer family staged the death of their youngest son, Georef, and sent him off with Princess Jessica's newborn daughter, who was said to have been miscarried, to hide in the muggle world. They disappeared rather effectively, and since no one knew they were still alive, the two were able to raise families, which were told to keep marrying into the muggle world for a few centuries."

"From what we learned, with the goblins' help," Harry continued, "the continuous addition of non-magical blood eventually buried the magical blood, making it a sort of recessive gene, as it were. My mother was the first true rebirth of the Kaizer family into the magical world, but she never knew; it wasn't something she would have thought to check for."

"No, I don't suppose it would have been," Dumbledore agreed faintly. "How were you three also seated at your House table? And your appearances?"

"When we went to pick up my family crown," Hermione said, "the goblins foresaw our difficulty in trying to be two different sets of people and gave me a time turner. As to our appearances? Aging potions and some hair and eye colouring potions. Harry used a spell I found in one of my roommates' magazines to lengthen his hair. And I don't know _what_ he did to hide his scar." Harry grinned knowingly while Hermione shot him a disgusted look.

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "And the scroll?"

"Ron's idea," Harry answered, smiling at where his best friend was shoving biscuits into his mouth; they'd all been a bit too nervous to eat breakfast that morning. "He got Hermione to write a letter to the Head of the Department late last night, while we were still in the middle of figuring everything out for today. We got the scroll early this morning, not long after going to sleep, actually." He grimaced.

Dumbledore chuckled. "It was a masterful performance. Do you truly intend to come back if Dolores doesn't leave?"

"Yes," all three chorused coldly.

"And I _will_ use force to remove her," Harry added, clenching his right hand so tightly that the pale writing faded into the back of it. Ron and Hermione nodded, grim-faced.

Dumbledore sighed. "Now, Harry–"

"I looked up the laws about a certain Dark artefact she has in her possession, sir," Harry cut in, "and if she were to be reported to a non-corrupt Ministry for having it, she would be sentenced to Azkaban for ten years. If it was discovered that she was using it on _children_ , she would be given the Kiss. No questions asked."

Dumbledore blinked, confused and a little horrified. "Dark artefact?"

"A blood quill, sir," Hermione said softly. "She's been having students use it during their detentions."

Dumbledore closed his eyes, looking ancient. "No..."

"And if she isn't rid of it by the time we're out of school, she _will_ be getting the Kiss," Hermione added.

"I don't understand why you're giving her the chance to get rid of it," Harry muttered, crossing his arms over his chest like a petulant child.

"Because the royal family has always been fair," Ron said around a biscuit. "Come on, mate, we've discussed this before."

Harry slouched even more in his chair and scowled.

Dumbledore smiled tiredly at the children. "Why wasn't I or another member of the staff made aware of this artefact?"

"What could you have done about it, sir?" Ron replied.

Dumbledore bowed his head against the truth of that question.

The office was silent for a long moment.

Dumbledore finally looked back up and inquired, "Harry, my boy, I notice you're not wearing the three rings you were said to have worn during the meeting on Christmas Eve."

Harry glanced up quickly, knocking his head on the soft back of the chair he was sitting in. "Oh, yeah. I figured that, since we'd be so close to people, it was best to not wear them. They might be recognized."

Dumbledore blinked. "I was under the impression that only of age wizards were allowed to wear their family rings, unless it's for something like that meeting."

Harry sighed and sat up fully. "Sir, my ancestors said that, were I not in the care of a guardian that would or could care for all my needs, I was to be emancipated. When the goblin asked, I had to tell him that my relatives don't take proper care of me."

Dumbledore closed his eyes again and looked so terribly old that Harry rose to his feet, concerned. "Professor!"

Dumbledore opened his eyes and smiled sadly. "I'm so sorry, my dear boy."

Harry shook his head. "You didn't know. I mean, they gave me food and made sure I had clothing and a place to sleep, but they did it to the barest minimum possible, and that's not proper care, no matter what time period you're in, so I don't think my ancestor would have accepted it. But, I survived, didn't I?"

Dumbledore's smile was a little less sad at that. "I suppose you did, yes. What do you intend to do with your new-found freedom, then?"

"Get rid of Umbridge, sir. I thought we'd already been over that," Harry replied, teasingly, as he sat back down in his seat with relief.

Dumbledore nodded, the twinkle back in his eyes. "Of course. But, after you've kicked her out, what do you intend to do?"

The three teens-turned-adults leaned forwards with bright eyes. The four spent another hour discussing plans for the future, before the students finally left to remove their disguises and go back in time to attend class.

Unsurprisingly, Umbridge was gone by lunch, and the Minister had sent a list of suggestions to Dumbledore of aurors who could replace her. Just in case.


	3. Defence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A question that kept popping up was about whether or not Tom Riddle/Voldemort would have been at the meeting. The answer, of course, is that the meeting was for _Lords_ or their proxies, not _Heirs_. So whether Lord Slytherin would have been invited or not is a moot point, because there _is_ no Lord Slytherin.  
>  If Heirs had been invited, Harry and Neville would have been expected to go, as they were the Heirs of their lines, though still under age. (In this world, you're an Heir until you're above age and/or the previous Lord dies, assuming you're First Heir. Then you become a Lord.)
> 
> Hope that helps!!

Hermione, Harry and Ron stopped studying up on pureblood behaviours – as Ron had dubbed them – and started studying for their OWLs, lest Hermione completely fall apart. After all their earlier studying, and the simple need to do better, if only to prove themselves worthy as the nobles they were, the three friends suddenly found themselves doing better in all their classes than they'd ever done before – with the exception of Hermione, who couldn't quite top her previous exemplary performance – and felt almost confident in their ability to pass the OWLs.

The only class which still gave them trouble was Potions. Snape was, as always, being a git, and it took all the three had to not reprimand him, if only because they didn't want it getting out yet who Queen Perdita or Lord Kaizer was – though all of them wondered if the Slytherins didn't already know about the latter. Classes with Snape were made worse for Harry, who also had Occlumency lessons with the man on Monday and Wednesday nights, where he tried valiantly to keep the man away from any memories of him being Lord Kaizer, and actually succeeded – it was probably the only thing Snape _didn't_ know about him, at that point. Though, even that was debatable.

"Only three more months," Harry grumbled one Friday evening after finishing the most recent Potions essay from Snape. He'd received an Acceptable on his last essay, even though it had been perfect, and had seriously considered doing the worst he could on this one, just so he could justify the grades his professor kept giving him. The only reason he didn't was that Hermione would have conniptions if he did.

"Can't we just get _him_ fired too?" Ron complained, not quite finished with his own essay.

"Don't think I haven't considered it," Hermione replied, looking worn as she started on an essay for Arithmancy. She'd already finished her Potions essay, as well as the one for Herbology, for which Harry was obediently pulling out his own things so he could work on it. "I've even considered taking one of our essays up to the Headmaster to prove that he's grading unfairly, but I don't know how much good it would do."

"Very little, I'd bet," Harry replied, re-inking his quill. "It's not like he's got any better in the past five years, and I'm sure Dumbledore knows about it. And, really, what's with _all_ of the classes giving us essays all of a sudden? When are we supposed to study for the OWLs?"

"Not you too!" Ron complained with a smile. "Come on, you two, they're mostly giving us revision work right now, anyway, right? They're doing their part to make sure we remember everything."

"Especially Kingsley," Harry agreed, referring to the auror who had replaced Umbridge. The three had secretly commented that the Headmaster must have picked him because he was a member of the Order, and therefore loyal to Dumbledore before the Ministry anyway.

"That poor man," Hermione agreed, rubbing at her cheek and unknowingly leaving behind a streak of black ink. "Not only does he have to get us caught up in this year, but he has to make sure we have sufficient knowledge for the past four years to pass the OWLs without trouble."

"Hey, do you remember him saying that knowing the Patronus would get you extra points?" Harry suddenly said. His two friends both turned to him, eyes questioning. "Want to see if you can learn it?"

"Oh, Harry, would you _really_ teach us?" Hermione breathed, brown eyes hopeful.

Harry shrugged. "Yeah. I figure that, since we've had such a crappy run of professors, we might as well all have something to show to boost our score–"

"Hey, is that just for you three, then?" Parvati Patil asked from the next table over. Next to her, Lavender Brown looked just as hopeful as Hermione had.

"Uh..." Harry blinked and tried to find a response that wouldn't be rude. "Well..."

"You know, that might be a good idea," Hermione considered. "Remember when I was talking about you leading an extra-curricular group about Defence?"

"Oh, come off it, Hermione!" Harry groaned. "I thought you'd given up on that."

"Well, I kind of forgot about it, actually," Hermione admitted with a careless shrug. "But, anyway, I was planning to invite a lot of the people we know. Maybe you could do it now, as a sort of revision session? I'm sure that would help Professor Shacklebolt – there's just not enough class time to teach us everything we've missed out on."

Harry rubbed at his eyes. "What about _my_ study time?" he asked.

"Are you putting any time aside to study for Defence right now?" Parvati asked.

"Not really," Harry admitted. He had, originally, been making time to study for Defence, but he knew everything so well that it ended up being useless.

"He studies for Potions when we study for Defence," Ron agreed. "So we discuss curses and he discusses poisons; makes for a really interesting study session."

"Wow, mate," Dean Thomas said, walking over to the Trio's table from where he'd been playing Exploding Snap with some of the younger years. "You know _everything_ in that class that well?"

"He's been known to correct us during our study sessions," Hermione agreed proudly, making Harry flush. It was true, though. Harry had been known to study other subjects during Defence class, simply because he was bored. He'd even gone so far as to borrow the Weasley Twins' sixth year Defence book, just so he could learn something new, because he didn't want his knowledge going stagnant.

"I think it would help the rest of us a lot if you'd help us," Lavender said. "I know I could use the extra help, and Shacklebolt goes over things so quickly that I'm often lost. And think about how much it would help Neville." The whole group grimaced, reminded of how many times Kingsley had called Neville up to the front to perform a curse and their year mate had got it completely wrong. Eventually, Kingsley had stopped calling Neville up at all.

Harry sighed, knowing he'd do it, if only for Neville. "I'll mention it to Professor Shacklebolt."

"Excellent!" Ron stood from the table with a grin. When Harry blinked at him, he said, "Well, what are you waiting for? That essay can wait. Let's go ask him now."

Harry looked imploringly at Hermione, who looked tiredly down at her own partially finished essay before standing. "Ron's right. We need a break. We've been at this for hours, and it's almost dinner, anyway."

Harry rubbed at his eyes under his glasses again, then stood as well. "Oh, fine."

"Good luck!" Dean offered as the three fifth years headed for the door.

"Let us know what he says at dinner!" Parvati called cheerfully.

The Trio quickly made their way down to Kingsley's office, where Hermione knocked firmly on the door.

The Kingsley who opened the door looked just as drained as his students felt and he let them in with a fond smile. "What can I do for my three best fifth years?" he teased as they all pulled up seats in front of his desk.

"Sir," Hermione started, "we were just talking in the common room, and Harry mentioned that he'd be willing to teach Ron and myself the Patronus Charm." Kingsley shot Harry a curious look at that, even as Hermione continued, "And Parvati asked if Harry would be willing to teach her, too. Which reminded me about the beginning of the year, when I was trying to get Harry to start a Defence club because Umbridge was such a bad teacher. And, well, we were wondering how you'd feel about Harry teaching a sort of study session, where we could go over what we've learned over the past four years, so you can just cover what were we're supposed to have learned this year?"

Kingsley took a moment to let the barrage sink in, then said, "Potter, are you okay with running this by yourself? Because I won't have the time to make sure you all are okay."

Harry scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. I think I can manage everyone okay. I mean, I'm not sure about how it would work if we invited the Slytherins, since we don't get on well, but I should be okay with everyone else."

"I think the Slytherins have a club like this of their own set up, honestly," Kingsley admitted, recalling the times he'd called one of them up and they'd do just fine, which had always drawn smug smirks from their housemates.

"Then we don't have to invite them? Brilliant!" Ron cheered.

Harry shook his head at his best friend with a smile, then looked back at Kingsley. "Do you know a place where we can hold it for the other three Houses, then? And can you find a way to make sure they come?"

"You can probably use the classroom, actually," Kingsley suggested. "And I'll mention it to Filius and Pomona. Also, is there a chance you'd be willing to accept a few of the seventh years? They also need a refresher on their first four years. It wasn't quite as bad as for your class, I think, but they still need the help, and I just don't have the time."

Harry sighed tiredly and glanced at the pile of essays on Kingsley's desk. "Yeah, it shouldn't be a problem. Just send them to me. And, uhm, will the classroom be big enough for that many people?"

Kingsley sat back and thought about it. "No, probably not. But I don't know any place big enough..."

"Ask Dobby," Ron suddenly suggested, eyes bright. "He'd know."

Harry grinned at the mention of his favourite house-elf. "Yeah. Dobby!"

The house-elf appeared suddenly, startling Kingsley, who hadn't known who Dobby was. "What can Dobby do for Harry Potter?"

Harry leaned over. "Do you know of a place in this school that'll fit most of the fifth years and a few seventh years, with room for sparring?"

Dobby blinked, then nodded. "The Come and Go Room."

"The what?" Ron asked, confused.

"The Come and Go Room; it's what the house-elves call it," Dobby explained. "It's on the seventh floor, across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy."

"Oh, the one where he's trying to teach the trolls to dance?" Hermione clarified.

"Yes, Missy Hermy. Harry Potter must walk back and forth in front of it, thinking of what he wants, and the door will appear. The Room has everything Harry Potter needs."

The three friends traded amazed looks. "Wow," Harry finally said, looking back at the hopeful house-elf. "Thanks, Dobby!"

Dobby smiled. "Harry Potter is such a great wizard!" he declared, then popped away.

"There you go, then," Kingsley said, looking just as amazed as the three Gryffindors. "Now, when do you want to hold these meetings?"

The friends traded looks again, then Hermione decided, "Saturdays after lunch. And we can go until dinner, I think. That should be enough time to, hopefully, get everyone caught up enough in time for OWLs and NEWTs, without taking too much time from other classes."

"As long as the other professors don't decide this is a good idea," Ron agreed with a grin.

"They haven't been teaching us varying degrees of useful information for the past five years," Harry grumbled. "And the _last_ thing I need is to spend _more_ time with Snape." His friends gave him sympathetic smiles.

"I would offer to teach you instead of Snape, Potter, but I simply don't have the time for it. And the Headmaster is afraid of what you'll learn if he teaches you," Kingsley offered.

"I'd ruther just try and learn from a book, at this point," Harry complained with the air of one who had stopped caring.

Kingsley blinked. "It's harder, and certainly slower, but there are books out there–"

"There _are_?!" the Trio said all at once.

"Well, yes," Kingsley said, surprised. "I mean, you're supposed to have your guardian's permission to get one of them – Ministry rules – but they're certainly available."

The three friends traded quick looks, all thinking the same thing: Harry was emancipated, and even though that wasn't common knowledge, Lord Kaizer could _certainly_ request the book, with no one the wiser. "Could you tell me the titles?" Harry asked carefully.

"Sure. But, just know, Potter, these books have spells on them so only the person they're ordered for can read them. And it can't be a teacher who orders them. The last was added recently, to keep the Headmaster from doing just what he's doing; having you learn Occlumency," Kingsley cautioned, even as he pulled out a bit of clean parchment and started writing the titles down.

"Figures," Hermione commented darkly. "Always getting in other people's business."

Harry just smiled. "I'm sure I can get the Dursleys to write me some kind of note, if I must. I doubt Sirius' signature would do, after all."

"Alas, no," Kingsley agreed with a smile, even as he handed over the sheet. "Good luck, Potter."

"Thanks, sir."

"Will you start those classes tomorrow, or wait until next weekend?" Kingsley asked, getting back to why they were there.

"Tomorrow, I think," Harry decided, pocketing the slip of parchment. "I know the other Gryffindor fifth years will be there, since most of them already know. And by the end of dinner, the Gryffindor seventh years, as well as some of the other fifth years will probably know. Might as well be tomorrow."

Kingsley nodded. "I'll let Pomona and Filius know at dinner, then, so they can tell their students either tonight or tomorrow morning. Do you want me to tell Minerva as well, or do you think you and your mates can spread the word around well enough without her help?"

"We'll be fine, I think, though you might let her know anyway, so she doesn't feel left out," Ron suggested, earning him a smack from Hermione. "What?"

Hermione shook her head helplessly. "Prat."

Harry and Kingsley both chuckled at them, then the auror stood. "Well, it's dinner time. Walk down with me? Or do you need to go back to your dorms?"

"We'll walk with you," Harry decided, standing with his friends.

Together, the four walked from the office and down to the Great Hall, where they separated to go to their tables. As soon as the Trio sat at the Gryffindor table, they were bombarded by questions from their year mates, making them all laugh. Once the lot of them had shut up, Harry let everyone know when and where the meetings were, as well as that the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were welcome. He decided he'd wait until later to let the seventh years know, as the table around him immediately started talking and some of them started writing notes to magically pass to their friends in the mentioned Houses.

Really, Harry considered, everyone in the school would probably know by the time they went to bed that night that Harry would be teaching an extra Defence class on Saturdays.

-0-0-0-

As the fifth and seventh years filed into the expanded Room of Requirement, Harry felt himself wondering if he would actually be able to teach everyone enough so they would be able to pass their respective exams. There were so many of them, and he was only one person.

When it seemed that everyone who was going to come was there, Harry cleared his throat nervously. "Uhm, welcome. This group is to, hopefully, teach you all enough about our first through fourth years so we can all pass our OWLs and NEWTs in June. Professor Shacklebolt has agreed to this group so that he has a little less that he has to teach us during class time.

"I'm going to try and do this by year. So, today, we'll be covering mostly things we should have learned in our first year, going by the first year book–" Harry held up a copy of said book, "–so this has a higher chance of being on the exams. There will be no homework and I don't require you to keep notes, though you may wish to. That, or look back over your notes from previous years.

"We're meeting, as I'm sure you've all heard, every Saturday until exams, from after lunch until before dinner. If you can't make it to a meeting, or come in late or whatnot, that's fine. This is hardly mandatory, and I understand that everyone has other homework they need to get done. You may also feel that you know something so well that you don't want to have to sit through it again, so feel free to leave.

"Okay, any questions?"

"Yeah," Terry Boot called from near the back, "why you?"

Harry blinked. "Uhm, well, it was Hermione's idea, and since I know Defence better than her, she said I should do it. And Professor Shacklebolt agreed that I would do, so that's why it's me. Anything else?"

"Hey, Harry, are we going to be learning the Patronus?" Lavender asked, which got everyone's attention. "I know that was what started this yesterday, but you said you'd only be doing review..."

Harry scratched the back of his head. "Uhm, well.... Professor Shacklebolt and I didn't talk about that, and he _does_ want me doing review, rather than teaching you new stuff..."

"Could we do it on the last Saturday?" Hermione suggested. "Try and cover everything else before then, and then have that day for the Patronus?"

Harry pulled out the calendar he'd made of how many days they had to cover things. He'd originally thought to spend three days on each year, then have the last Saturday, the one after the Quidditch match, going over anything that people didn't get. "Uhm, well, I was going to use that last Saturday for anything people were having extra trouble with, but you all would rather attempt the Patronus...?"

"Yeah!" almost the entire room shouted, making Harry wince.

Harry found a quill and made a note next to the last day that they would do Patroni then. He also made a note on the twenty-second to make sure they all knew to come up with a really happy memory, as well as to maybe read up on Patroni. "Okay," he said, putting the quill and calendar away, "June fifth we'll work on the Patronus Charm. If anyone wants to cover something else as well, let me know after the Quidditch match on the twenty-ninth and we can try and go over that quickly before doing Patroni. Sound fair?" When everyone nodded, Harry turned to the board the Room had supplied and picked up the chalk. "Right, then. First year Defence."

-0-0-0-

Harry received the two books about Occlumency that looked most useful the second Saturday of the new club. He'd shrunken them and put them into a pocket for later, then completely forgotten about them until he went to bed that night. As he was changing for bed, he felt them fall on the floor and picked them up to start one before going to sleep.

Surprisingly, they made sense. In fact, they made so much sense and were so enthralling, that when Ron finally woke at ten-thirty the next morning, Harry was halfway through the second one and had dark circles under his eyes. Ron had stared at him for a long minute before going to find Hermione.

"Harry? Have you slept?" Hermione asked quietly, sitting on Harry's bed.

Harry glanced up. "Hm? Oh, no. These books are really interesting. Couldn't put them down." Then he went back to reading.

Hermione sighed and took the book from Harry, who shot her a betrayed look. "Come on, breakfast. And then we finish those Charms essays. _Then_ you may read this some more. Okay?"

Harry frowned. "But, Hermione–"

"Harry James Potter-Kaizer, _don't_ make me order you," Hermione hissed, glancing around to make sure no one else could hear her. "Because I will."

Harry closed his eyes and gritted his teeth for a long moment, then let out a heavy sigh and nodded. "Fine. I'll get dressed."

Hermione nodded gratefully. "Thank you. But I'm not giving this back until we're done with those essays. Okay?"

Harry looked for a moment like he might fight with her about that, then nodded. "Yeah. Now scat." He smiled to show he wasn't really mad with her. Hermione smiled back, then hurried from the room with the two books, one finger marking Harry's spot.

On their way down to the Great Hall, Hermione said, "Okay, I'll probably regret this later but, are those books any help?"

Harry's eyes lit up. "Yeah! Merlin, Hermione. You know that 'clear your mind' stuff Snape's always going on about? Well, the books explain that it's not always possible for people to do, so there are different ways to go about doing Occlumency. The 'clear your mind' way is good for people who already think in an organized fashion, like you. Ron's very logical, so he'd do best setting up traps in his mind to trip up the attacker, which is another way to do it. Me, because my mind is so chaotic and I think best on my feet, I'd be best simply locking my memories in a sort of safe, like muggles do with their valuables, and setting it with a lock that only I can open."

"That's wonderful, Harry," Hermione allowed, smiling and considering that she needed to read these books as well. "But how does that stop someone from just breaking the safe with a mental mallet or something?"

Harry rubbed at his chin, smiling his thanks as Ron piled some food on his plate for him. "I was just getting there in that second book. It was saying something about building a false room, which looks exactly like the one you've stored your memories in. Make another safe in there with nothing, or with only what you want the person attacking your mind to see. Something like that."

Hermione was nodding, though, as if it made sense. Next to Harry, Ron said, "Hey, isn't that kinda like what you've been doing with the stuff?" He motioned between Harry and Hermione, meaning the knowledge of their ancestry.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, actually. I just hadn't realized what I was doing. Not really. I mean, all I'd really been doing was trying to keep him away from those memories, kinda diverting him, which is one way to do Occlumency, but it's not the best way, since if the Legilimens really wants to know about that one specific thing, they'll get it eventually. I know Snape likes to look for my most embarrassing moments, and so I haven't been able to divert him from those, though I've tried. But I think I might try locking everything in a box or two next time, and work on building a false room with the fake box. Maybe I'll put History lessons in the box and see if I can bore him out."

Hermione and Ron laughed at that and Harry grinned, then started in on his food.

"I might have to read these books, too," Hermione mentioned. "If I can."

Harry nodded. "You should. You too, Ron. There's too much riding on our knowledge of some things for us not to know. And if you can't read them, I'll try and teach you without them."

Ron nodded. "I'll let Hermione have them next, then I'll take them if she can read them. Okay?"

Harry grinned again. "Excellent."

-0-0-0-

The next time Harry had an Occlumency lesson, he put his plan into effect and and grinned at the completely confused look on Snape's face when all he saw was a room with a muggle safe box. "Well, Potter, this is an interesting development."

Harry shrugged. "I got some books, sir."

Snape scowled. "Those are carefully monitored by the Ministry."

Harry smiled. "I know."

Snape narrowed his eyes. " _Legilimens_!" he shouted, and Harry knew the man was trying to find out how he'd got the books, but all he found was the safe in an empty room. When he pulled away, he glared furiously. " _OUT!_ "

Harry hurried from the room, feeling accomplished.

The next morning, Harry got a note from Dumbledore, which told him that, since Harry had managed to master Occlumency, he no longer had the classes with Snape. Harry almost got up from the table and danced.

-0-0-0-

On the third of April, as their meeting was winding down, Padma Patil asked, "Harry, are we going to have this group next Saturday?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Most people don't go home for Easter break, so I figured it would be okay to have it. We won't be covering too much, though, and I can go back over things on the seventeenth or any time after break, if anyone wants to know what they missed."

"Cheers, mate!" Dean said. He almost always went home for break, as did Justin Finch-Fletchley and one of the seventh year Ravenclaws. Easter wasn't a huge wizarding holiday, though enough of the students' families observed it that the school always took off for a week around Easter Sunday.

Hermione had once commented that her parents didn't really celebrate it, so she had no reason to go home. The Dursleys observed it, of course, like good Christians, but Harry had never been welcome during it, so had never considered going home. Ron's family, like most purebloods, didn't recognize it as a holiday at all, they were more likely to observe the Solstice before Easter, rather than Easter itself, Harry had found.

"Well, those of you going home, have a good Easter," Harry declared. "Everyone else, I hope to see you on the tenth!"

There was a lot of laughter and chatter as everyone filed out of the room, leaving Ron, Harry, and Hermione to fall into a couple of beanbag chairs that appeared for them. "Hermione," Harry muttered, "if you ever suggest something like this to me again, I'm going to say no. Just so you know now."

Hermione and Ron both laughed weakly. "Harry, please feel free to. Goodness, what was I thinking?! Let's add one more thing to our schedule, on top of studying and Occlumency and Voldemort–"

"And our alternate identities," Ron added cheerfully.

"Yes, those too. What _was_ I thinking?"

"That you wanted to pass the OWLs," Harry teased. "On the other hand, at least we have a time turner. Think of how the other students must feel."

Hermione gave an overly dramatic shudder at the thought.

"Speaking of..." Harry leaned forward and eyed his friends with an air of utmost seriousness. "Your Majesty has been out of the public eye for two and a half months. The _Prophet_ is starting to run articles about how you're not real. Perhaps we should do something about that?"

"Well, we got the Ministry out of Hogwarts, and there's not much we can do about any other places right now, since we're rather limited to England until we can apparate," Hermione commented, tapping on her chin with one finger. "That leaves... magical creatures and Voldemort."

Ron's eyes brightened. "Well, we know nothing's being done about the magical creatures; perhaps it's time we handled that."

"How?" Hermione asked.

"Professor Lupin mentioned a magical machine in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures that records all werewolves around England," Harry said, eyes glittering with mayhem. "Perhaps we should go in and destroy it?"

Hermione smiled nastily. "We could just go in demanding they change their objective or we'll come in and change it for them. Give them a week and do it during Easter?"

"You know, that would totally make up for all those Easters I missed out on," Harry agreed.

"We should probably run it past the Headmaster first, though," Hermione pointed out. "I mean, it's not like we're actually going to be missing anything here or anything, but he might also have some suggestions. You know?"

Harry nodded thoughtfully while Ron groaned. "And maybe he'll just tell us no."

"Only way to find out is to ask," Harry pointed out. "Anyway, how else are we getting off the grounds? We'll need his help, right? We can't apparate, and I think the only open Floo right now is in his office."

Ron let out something that might have been a curse, then nodded and stood. "Well, we can probably ask him during dinner, which we'll miss if we don't head out now."

The other two laughed and followed Ron out.

-0-0-0-

"I must admit, I didn't expect you three to ask for me at dinner," Dumbledore commented calmly as the three students walked into the office behind Kingsley, who they'd asked to bring them up, since the Headmaster hadn't been at dinner.

Harry eyed Kingsley with a touch of suspicion when the man didn't leave. "Well, sir, it was sort of a last minute sort of thought. It has to do with what we discussed last time."

Dumbledore hummed and popped a sweet in his mouth. "I see. Kingsley, if you could excuse us?"

Kingsley nodded. "Of course, Headmaster," he agreed, then left.

Hermione let out a breath. "Sir, we are finding that, if we want things to change, we have to step in a bit."

Dumbledore nodded. "This is about the treatment of magical creatures?"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say our Occlumency wasn't working," Ron joked.

Dumbledore looked briefly surprised. "You taught your friends?" he asked Harry.

Harry shrugged. "Well, yeah. I ordered myself a couple of books Kingsley suggested and, somehow, Ron and Hermione were able to read them, so I let them. I mean, it's not like I'm the only one with things to hide."

"No, I suppose you're not..." Dumbledore smiled. "You could all read the books, likely, because Harry, as an emancipated person, allowed you to read them, which got around the spell, since the spell only specifies that the buyer of the book must give their permission. Of course, you need a valid reason to even get the books..."

"I ordered them as Lord Kaizer," Harry said to the Headmaster's questioning look. "I assume they want to stay on my and Hermione's good side, especially since we've shown we have no fear of the Ministry."

Dumbledore smiled faintly and nodded. "A sound assumption. Now, what are your plans for this venture?"

Hermione sighed. "Not much. Just, we want to go to the Ministry's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and basically make them take a bit more of a positive spin on their jobs. Give them a week, then come back during Easter and make sure it's been done right."

"Maybe blow some things up?" Ron added, looking faintly hopeful.

Dumbledore nodded, eyes glittering. "You'll probably want to do it during the week; I don't think that Department has weekend hours. I can probably get you a map of the floor, so you can plan where you want to go, of course..."

"That would help," Ron agreed.

"Monday, then?" Harry suggested. "Head out in the morning and come back for classes? That should keep away any suspicion about us being school students," he added, referring to one of the most recent suggestions in the _Prophet_.

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "That could work. We'll probably want to get up _really_ early..."

"As long as we get breakfast before we leave," Ron decided, making a pained face.

"We can get something from the kitchens," Harry agreed.

"Now, how are you planning to get there?" Dumbledore asked, sensing that the discussion about when they were going was done.

"That's the question," Hermione commented. "None of us can apparate, and as far as we know, this is the only open Floo."

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "There's a Floo down in the kitchens that I could have opened to Number Twelve in the morning, and you can leave from there. When you come back, make a stop in Number Twelve, then come back here to my office. Number Twelve is unplottable, so it should come up as a blank on the register, and you can call out 'Headquarters' or 'Number Twelve' to get there, which isn't giving too much away."

"What about the people at Headquarters?" Ron asked. "I know Mum's in the kitchen all the time."

Dumbledore smiled faintly. "I will warn everyone that we will be having some trusted guests using our Floo as a through-point on Monday, to keep the Ministry and press unaware of their current residence. That should be sufficient to keep them quiet. You may wish to wear hoods, however, as you may find yourselves otherwise distracted on your way back here."

The three teens grimaced knowingly.

"Now, Harry can probably start learning apparation now, if you wish it, though you won't be able to use it outside of your lessons until you've received your license. We'll probably have to make a certificate up about your supposed age, so they'll let you take the test, but that shouldn't be too hard, and that will help all three of you, if one of you can apparate."

"Sir, you're kinda scary," Harry commented, eyes bright. "I'd love to learn how to apparate sooner."

Dumbledore laughed. "Well, I'm not sure how we'd go about getting a Ministry trainer for you, so I'll have to teach you myself, I think. Perhaps I could borrow those timeslots Professor Snape was using?"

Harry paused to think about it for a moment. "Sir, could we cut it back to only one day a week? With OWLs coming up and all..."

Dumbledore nodded with a smile. "Wednesdays should do, I think?"

"Sounds wonderful."

"And you, Hermione and Ron, may feel free to attend as well," Dumbledore allowed. "I'm not sure how much good it will do, but some theory wouldn't hurt, and I'm sure Harry could do with some support."

"I think we might take you up on that offer, sir," Hermione replied.

"Wonderful! Well, I will see about getting you three that map sometime tonight or tomorrow morning. I'll send it with Fawkes, as well as the time period I can keep the Floo in the kitchens open for."

"Thank you for everything, sir," Harry said, standing with his friends.

"Of course, my dear boy. And good luck."

The three teens left with smiles on their faces.


	4. The Ministry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! So, I should mention now that there won't be Horcruxes in this story. Partly because it was too much work to fit them in, partly because I was still rather disgruntled about those last two books when I first started this fic.

None of the teens felt particularly pleased to be up at four-thirty the morning of the fifth, but they quickly swallowed their potions and took a few minutes to let them work and get dressed before trudging down to the kitchens, all three under dark cloaks. Under the cloaks, they were all dressed similarly to how they'd been in the Great Hall months ago, with the notable exception of Harry wearing the Kaizer family ring on his right ring finger and Ron wearing the royal family crest on a banner over his heart, showing that he was loyal to Hermione, though he didn't hold a Lordship like Harry did.

By the time they had eaten breakfast and were on their ways through the Floo to Grimmauld Place, it was just after five-fifty, which was fine timing, since they all intended to be there at six, when the Ministry officially opened for business.

There was no one in the kitchen when they got there, so they felt safe to dawdle a bit, sitting down at the table to look back over the map Ron had brought with. It was just chiming six when Molly walked into the kitchen. She froze a moment and looked like she might scream, but then calmed. "Oh, you three must be the guests Albus mentioned. I'm Molly Weasley."

"A pleasure," Harry replied shortly. "If you'll excuse us, we must be on our way."

"Oh, of course! Please feel free to spend a moment with us when you come back."

The three quickly made their way through the Floo to the Ministry Atrium, where they paused to give the fountain disgusted looks.

Harry quickly took the lead, since he'd been there most recently, and led them over to where a wizard sat at the guard table. "Wands, please," the guard stated in a monotone.

The three friends drew their hoods back, making the wizard at the desk's eyes go wide. "Don't mind us," Harry said with a dangerous smile. "We're just passing through."

"But, your wands–"

"Oh, piss off," Ron said with a touch of heat.

"Uhm, well, your names, then? I– I need to record them!" he cried to their dark looks.

"Queen Perdita," Hermione said after a moment of glares.

"Lord Kaizer," Harry snapped, eyes narrowed.

"Rögnvaldr," Ron stated, giving the Old Norse form of his real name, as they'd all agreed to do when it was decided that he would accompany them in the Great Hall.

The wizard hurriedly wrote them down, then asked, "Uhm, what are you here for?"

"Business," Harry replied shortly. "Now, if you don't mind?"

The wizard nodded as he hurriedly wrote their reason down, so the three swept past his station to the lifts, where they got on the closest one and took it up to level four, where the offices they wanted were.

When the Trio walked out of the lift, they did so looking like they owned the place, completely ignoring the Ministry personnel who stopped to stare at them for a moment before sketching quick bows.

Hermione's first stop was the Werewolf Registry, right across from the Werewolf Capture Unit. She walked right up to the window and, while the witch there was still falling over herself, said, "What, exactly, is the point of registering all the werewolves in Britain and what do you do with that information?"

The witch was speechless for a long moment, simply opening and closing her mouth. When Hermione started tapping her foot impatiently, the woman finally said, "We, ah, we use the information to track werewolves who are potentially dangerous to the public, such as Fenrir Greyback, for ease of tracking them down with the Capture Unit. Majesty."

Hermione nodded, looking thoughtful. "How many times have you been able to successfully track down and contain a potentially dangerous werewolf that was actually intending harm, in the past ten years?"

The woman behind the window did some quick figuring, looking paler and paler by the minute. Finally, she looked Hermione straight in the eyes and said, "Twice, Majesty. Most times it's a false alarm or the werewolf escapes before the Unit can mobilize. We cannot track the werewolves accurately enough."

Hermione nodded to Ron, who walked over to the Werewolf Capture Unit, to have a few words with them about how useless they were. Hermione then turned back to the woman at the window, who was eyeing Ron's retreating form with trepidation. "Is the magical object used to record werewolves and their movements used for anything else? Such as denying werewolves jobs?"

The witch was starting to sweat. "Majesty, it has been known to; the Minister at the time of its creation stated that this office was open to any employers who wanted to check the background of their applicants or employees."

Hermione nodded. "That will no longer be allowed. This device is now to be used solely in conjunction with the Werewolf Capture Unit. There will be Ministry funds diverted to making the device more accurate in the pinpointing of dangerous werewolves. If the efficiency of this Unit does not improve by the end of next week, it will be removed and a different solution will be found. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," the woman whispered.

Hermione nodded and crossed the hall to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. There, Harry gleefully walked in and blew apart the sign for the department, bringing the staff out into the hallway between their offices. "This department no longer exists," he informed them, then turned around and met up with Hermione and Ron again to walk down to the Centaur Liaison Office, where Harry once again blew up the sign and told them they didn't exist. Unsurprisingly, the sole member of the office looked quite gratified.

Hermione went over to the Office of House-Elf Relocation next, to enquire after how useful they were, while Ron walked over to the Werewolf Support Services office to enquire the same thing. Meanwhile, Harry met a team of aurors in the hallway, smirking. "Can I help you?" he asked, looking quite pleased with himself. He found he rather enjoyed blowing up things that bothered him.

"We're here on the Minister for Magic's orders to find out what, exactly, you are doing down here," the auror who seemed to be in charge said, looking stern.

Harry shrugged. "Oh, you know, reforming this department to our liking. Her Majesty mentioned during Christmas Eve that she wanted better treatment for non-humans, and yet we've seen no improvements. The Ministry has already shown us once that we will need to step in to make sure things get fixed, so we decided to do so. Is that all?"

"You can't go around blowing things up in the Ministry!" one of the younger aurors cried.

Harry smiled. "Oh, can't I?"

"Lord Kaizer," Hermione interrupted in a dry tone, "please remember that we're not here to get into a fight with the Ministry aurors." Then she calmly walked past the gaping aurors and the smirking Harry into the Goblin Liaison Office, where she had a long talk with them about how the Ministry treated goblins and what they could do about it.

Harry shrugged. "As my Queen commands," he agreed. "Oh, and please make sure your Minister knows to divert funds from the destroyed offices to those that need it, such as the Werewolf Registry and the affiliated Capture Unit? They've a week to become useful before we destroy their offices as well." Then he walked right past the aurors to assist Hermione in talking with the goblin office. Through the wall, he could hear Ron, yelling at the admittedly rather useless Werewolf Support Services.

Once the three friends had finished yelling at the various departments, they made their way back to to Atrium, where the press waited to question them. Questions were shouted as soon as the three walked out of the lift, and they were almost pushed back into the lift when the various reporters closed in.

Harry shot a warning spell at the ceiling while Ron pulled out his sword, getting in front of Hermione protectively. When the reporters fell silent, Harry said, "Her Majesty is not a celebrity and does not appreciate you idiots barging in on her life. Now move out of our way, or there will be casualties."

Obediently, the crowd parted to let the party through. Just before they reached the fireplaces, Rita Skeeter stepped into their path with a bright smile. "Lords, Majesty, might we have a couple words?"

Hermione set a hand on Harry's arm as he aimed his wand at his least favourite reporter. "Why, yes," she said. "I would like to mention that your illegal Animagus form of a beetle is quite lovely, Ms Skeeter. Now, if you would move?"

The three friends stepped calmly around Rita and went through the fireplace, each declaring their destination to be 'Number Twelve'. By the time Rita found her voice again – and the other reporters had finished writing down this latest scoop on Rita – the party was gone.

-0-0-0-

"Perdita, that was bloody amazing," Harry declared as soon as he stepped through the Floo. Standing next to his two friends were Sirius, Remus, and Molly, all looking a bit star-struck, and Harry was glad they'd all agreed to use the names of the forms they were in at all times.

Hermione smiled at him. "Why thank you. I rather thought so myself. And she _did_ deserve it."

"Yeah, it was almost better than Heimrich cursing her out of the way. Now she gets to be publicly discredited, like she was going to do to us," Ron agreed, referring to Harry by the Old Germanic name that 'Harry' came from, which was what they'd agreed to use as his first name, in case they ever needed it.

Sirius chose that moment to clear his throat, and the three friends turned their attention back to the other three occupants. "Uhm, welcome to my house?"

Harry's eyes danced. "Why thank you, Lord Black."

Ron glanced at the time, then said, "Any chance for lunch?"

"Rögnvaldr, it's not even nine, yet," Harry said with a touch of laughter.

Ron shrugged. "Alright, second breakfast, then." At Harry and Hermione's disbelieving looks, he added, "What? Yelling at idiots makes me hungry!"

" _Everything_ makes you hungry," Hermione replied fondly. "And I suppose, if it's not too much trouble..?"

Molly shook her head with a smile. "Oh, it's no problem. Why don't you three sit down while I whip something up."

"Thank you, Mrs Weasley," Harry said, taking a seat. Hermione and Ron sat next to him, while Sirius and Remus took seats across from the three teens.

"Oh, it's no problem at all, dear," Molly said, cheerfully pulling food out.

"So, what were you three doing at the Ministry? If you don't mind my asking?" Sirius asked, trying for a polite tone and mostly managing it.

The Trio traded amused looks, then Hermione said, "Oh, just making sure the Ministry knows I meant it when I said I wanted better treatment for non-humans. You know, jobs for werewolves and kinder masters for the house-elves who want them, or freedom for those who don't. That sort of thing."

Ron and Harry covered smiles with their hands. They had only just managed to talk Hermione out of storming the house-elf office and demanding freedom for all house-elves the night before.

"Thank you," Remus said with a smile, which turned into an odd frown as he smelled the air. "You three are...familiar..."

Harry forced his smile to remain calm, thinking quickly. "I believe we were students while you taught at Hogwarts, Professor, though I regret to say that none of us got high enough OWLs to share your class."

"I would have liked to," Hermione agreed with a sad smile. "Our housemates spoke so highly of you."

Remus was still frowning, though. "What Houses were you in? If you don't mind my asking?"

"Gryffindor," Ron and Hermione chorused, while Harry said, "Slytherin."

The entire room seemed to freeze for a moment, everyone giving Harry incredulous looks. The young man simply smiled, eerily calm.

Molly let out a cough and floated five plates over to the table, following with one for herself. "Well, eat up!"

Sirius shot Harry a nasty look at the knowledge of his supposed House, which Harry mostly ignored, despite a stab of pain directly to his heart. Knowing how his godfather felt about Slytherins, Harry wasn't surprised. He was slightly surprised, however, by Ron's calm acceptance of the statement. Occlumency was good for his best mate.

"So, where are you three staying?" Molly asked in an attempt to break the heavy atmosphere.

"Oh, here and there," Ron said cheerfully. "We don't really have anything specific right now, since Perdita's homes are mostly in ruin or taken over by the muggles. And Heimrich's only stable house is under so many charms, we're not sure we can get to it right now without some serious studying up on wards."

Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement, as everything Ron had said was basically true. There was the house that Harry's father had grown up in, which they could have got to and was still in one piece, but since they didn't, actually, need a home to rest in, being students, it was hardly a priority.

"Well, what about your own homes, Rögnvaldr?" Sirius asked, firmly refusing to look at Harry.

"Don't have any," Ron replied with a shrug. "My family was poor, and I don't have a Lordship. I'm just with them because we're friends."

"That's not true, and you know it," Hermione hissed, smacking Ron's arm. "You're not here just because you're our friend!"

Harry rolled his eyes and flicked a sliver of egg in his best friend's face. "Grow up, Rögnvaldr."

Ron looked completely gobsmacked at the food that had hit him, while everyone else stared at Harry, who had calmly returned to eating.

Suddenly, Hermione started giggling, hiding her face in her hands. "You two!" she said through her laughter, "You're completely ridiculous!"

Harry glanced over at Ron, who grinned and shook his head at him. Harry smiled back. "Done wallowing?" he asked.

"You're a complete and utter prat, you know that, right?" Ron replied.

"You _have_ mentioned that," Harry agreed.

"No throwing food," Molly ordered, looking rather amused by the three friends, who were quite human at that moment.

Sirius shook his head. "Slytherins and Gryffindors, friends. Who would have guessed it?"

"Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor _were_ friends, once, you know," Hermione pointed out with an eye roll. "Honestly, hasn't _anyone_ read  Hogwarts: A History besides me?"

Harry and Ron traded looks before bursting out into laughter, which made Hermione swat both of them. "Prats!"

The fireplace flared to life behind the Trio, and Harry and Ron immediately shot to their feet, wands out. They took their duty of protecting Hermione very seriously, especially Ron, since he wasn't sure what else he was there for, no matter what Harry and Hermione said.

Dumbledore smiled at them and the two relaxed, putting their wands away. "Headmaster," Hermione said with a friendly smile. On the other side of the table, the three Order members looked shocked by the actions of the two young men, who had been laughing mere moments before.

"Hello, Your Majesty, gentlemen, ladies," Dumbledore replied, nodding in kind to the various members of the kitchen. "I just got a most interesting fire call from Minister Fudge, who seems to think I'm capable of reaching you three," he continued, looking to the three youngest members of the kitchen. "He wanted me to pass on that if you attack the Ministry again, he will use force."

"Just let him try," Harry and Ron growled together.

"There will be no skirmishes with the aurors," Hermione said tiredly. "We need them to help fight Voldemort."

"How about a little duelling practise?" Harry asked, false red-brown eyes glinting maliciously.

" _No_ , Heimrich."

Harry huffed.

"That reminds me," Ron said, gaze distant. "Sir, do you perhaps have an idea why Voldemort hasn't made any actions, even though Heimrich told all the Lords that he was back?"

"I believe you can answer that yourself, my dear boy," Dumbledore said, sitting next to Harry at the table. "How many English Lords are Light?"

Ron thought about it for a long moment, but it was Harry who said, "Currently, Weasley, Black, Potter, and Longbottom. Longbottom and Potter's Lords aren't old enough to claim their Lordships yet, and Potter is being discredited by the Ministry as it is. Lord Black," Harry nodded to Sirius, "is believed to be a criminal on the run, while Weasley was represented by a proxy and is already known to be in your pocket, Headmaster."

Ron looked a little ill as he realized the complications. "But, what about Heimrich? He's Dark, but on our side!"

"I am the only one," Harry stated coolly. "There are some Neutral Lords who attended the meeting, but they will stay silent to keep Voldemort's wrath from their families."

"Cowards," Ron spat.

"It is not cowardly to wish to protect your own family," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. "Aren't you three doing just that, by hiding your identities?"

Ron jerked, looking like he'd been struck.

"Most of the Old families have the same beliefs as Voldemort," Hermione whispered. "Oh, how our world has changed since the days of our ancestors."

"Not a pleasing thought, is it?" Dumbledore said. "The Order has only a few Old families in it."

Harry, Hermione, and Ron all traded sharp looks, then Harry turned to the Headmaster. "Would it be permissible, Headmaster, for one of us to join your Order?"

Dumbledore looked startled by the suggestion, while the three adults across the table stared at the Trio. "I am... not sure, my boy."

"Perhaps we should discuss this in your office, Headmaster," Hermione gently suggested.

"I believe that would be best," Dumbledore agreed after a moment, standing. "Molly, Sirius, Remus, it was good seeing you again," he said to the three surprised adults, then led the way to the fireplace and his office.

Once they were all comfortable in the Headmaster's office with cups of tea, Harry said, "Sir, before you say anything, know that the statement giving me my emancipation stated that it was to actually happen at fourteen, so I am, technically, overage."

Dumbledore smiled faintly, then shook his head. "Harry, it's not your age that worries me. In fact, out of all the members of the Order, you have certainly deserved a spot."

"Schoolwork?" Hermione concluded.

The Headmaster inclined his head. "Partially. There is also the chance that you will be recognized. And I know you want to keep this out of the public light for now."

"Mum'd throw a fit if she knew who you were," Ron agreed grimly. "Not that it wouldn't be good to have someone in the Order so we have a better idea about what to do with ourselves..."

Harry had caught something in the Headmaster's eyes, while they were all talking, though, and asked, "What else? You're not saying something, sir."

"Slytherin, hm?" Hermione teased with little humour.

The Headmaster sighed. "Harry, you remember the prophecy Professor Trelawney gave at the end of your third year?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. About Wormtail."

"Do you recall my saying that was the second one she gave?" When Harry nodded again, the Headmaster said, "The first.... the first is about you."

Hermione and Ron gasped while Harry frowned. When Dumbledore didn't continue on his own, Harry said, "Will you tell me?"

Dumbledore looked troubled and glanced at Ron and Hermione.

Harry understood the unspoken message and shrugged. "I'll tell Ron and Hermione anyway, sir, so you might as well tell me it with them here." Next to him, Ron and Hermione nodded.

Dumbledore, still looking troubled, nodded. "Very well. But I think, my boy, it would be best if I showed you, rather than telling you..." He got up and pulled out his Pensieve, which Harry had seen before.

When he sat back down, he withdrew a memory and set it in the bowl, then used his wand to swirl the memories around. After a moment, Trelawney rose from the bowl and spoke in a hard voice, _"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."_

Harry and his friends were silent for a moment, thinking over what they'd heard. Instead of exploding, like they may have once done, they all considered the prophecy, paling as they began to realise what it meant.

It was Ron who finally asked, "So Harry's the only one who can defeat Voldemort?"

"I'm afraid so," Dumbledore agreed, taking the memory back.

"Kill or be killed," Harry murmured, then stood to pace in front of his seat, feeling sick.

Hermione reached out to grab his hand, intent on comforting him, but he shook his head at her and she drew back, understanding, but wounded.

"Well, mate," Ron tried with false humour, "at least we know what your power is?"

"Is being a member of a Dark family really a type of power?" Hermione inquired drily.

"I have always thought that the 'power' was your ability to love, my dear boy," Dumbledore offered, watching Harry's troubled form with concern.

"My ability to love?" Harry asked, stopping to look at the Headmaster in disbelief.

Dumbledore nodded. "You grew to love Sirius after only hours of knowing him. If that isn't a power, I don't know what is."

Harry traded incredulous looks with his two best friends. It was more likely that Harry being a member of a long-lost Dark family was this 'power'. Dumbledore was clearly barking.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to leave that for another time. On the previous matter..."

Dumbledore nodded. "Of course. If you truly want to join the Order, Harry, we'll be having a meeting Thursday evening, after dinner. My office password is Pepper Imps."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Thank you, sir."

"Of course. Now, I believe you three should head out so I can see you at breakfast two hours ago." Dumbledore winked at the students, and they all grinned back before heading out of the office, pulling up their hoods. Although classes were in session, it was best that they tried to remain as unnoticeable as possible.

In the empty Room of Requirement, Hermione said, "Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to be okay?"

Harry paused in the process of finishing getting dressed – the Room had created two curtained-off corners so the three students could change – and thought it over. Next to him, Ron watched him with a concerned frown.

Finally, Harry said, "I'm not sure. But I've got you two by me, right?"

"Always," Ron replied, clapping Harry on the back before walking out, fully dressed.

Harry finished tugging on his school robe and walked out after Ron. Hermione hugged him once he was in the clear. "Of course we are."

Harry smiled thankfully at his friends, wondering how he would have survived without them. "Let's have a third breakfast, then," he suggested, grinning widely when Ron's eyes lit up and Hermione let out a helpless sigh.

-0-0-0-

The rest of the week leading up to the holidays was filled with discussions of the queen and her two retainers' visit to the Ministry. The _Prophet_ ran constant stories about Skeeter's disgrace, as well as the Ministry's scramble to improve their Magical Creature's office.

By Thursday morning, the three friends were mostly pleased enough with the Ministry's efforts that they'd agreed to just let them continue for now. But if they heard anything that might suggest that the idiots weren't continuing to be useful, they'd go in and tear them apart.

For their first day of break, Hermione had agreed that they deserved a day off, so the three friends left their books and homework in their dorms and went out on the grounds to visit Hagrid and sit at the edge of the lake. Even Malfoy coming by to taunt them didn't ruin the nice day.

After dinner, Harry took his aging potion, grew out his hair, and covered his scar. He dressed in dark red robes with the Kaizer family crest and pulled out his Kaizer Lord ring to wear. Once he was properly dressed, he pulled on his invisibility cloak and hurried to the Headmaster's office, ducking the few students that were in the halls with practised ease.

Once he'd entered the stairs that went up to the office, he pulled off his cloak and put it in the bottomless bag that Ron had once used for their official documents. At the top of the stairs, he knocked and walked in when Dumbledore called, "Enter!"

"Headmaster," Harry greeted when he stepped into the room. He paused minutely when he saw Snape sitting in the chair in front of Dumbledore's desk, before continuing with, "Professor."

Snape eyed him darkly for a long minute before saying, "Potter."

Harry cocked an eyebrow at Dumbledore, who sighed and said, "Professor Snape figured it out on his own, my boy. He has already given an Oath that he won't give away your identity."

Harry glanced back at Snape, who was glaring at him, and asked, "If you figured it out, what about your House?"

"That has been dealt with," the snappish man replied.

Harry looked to Dumbledore, who nodded, then sighed. "Very well. And the meeting?"

"Headmaster, I must disagree with allowing Potter to–"

"Severus, we've already discussed this," Dumbledore said tiredly. "Harry has been given my permission already. If he still wants to come, I won't deny him. He's earned his place as much as you have."

Snape's mouth clicked shut and he turned to glare at Harry, who simply raised an eyebrow at him, unimpressed. Harry had grown up too much over the past year to be phased by the same glare he'd been subjected to for five years. "At least the Order won't think too poorly of me, despite my stated House," Harry commented drily. "After all, what sort of Slytherin is hated by his own Head of House?"

Snape sneered. "You? A _Slytherin_?"

"He would have done well in your House, Severus," the Sorting Hat called from its shelf. "I said it to him five years ago, and I'll say it to you now. He's as much an Evans as he is a Potter; possibly more."

Snape looked slightly constipated at the suggestion that Harry would have made a good Slytherin because he was such a mix of his parents. "I sincerely doubt that."

"Whether you doubt it or not, that is the truth," Harry commented coolly. "And if you're _quite_ done questioning my supposed House, perhaps we should go?"

Dumbledore smiled at the clear show of why Harry would have done well in Salazar's House, and why he played a Dark wizard so well, and stood. "Of course. Harry, my dear boy, I will be sending you with Fawkes, and he will be bringing you back, if that's to your liking?"

Harry nodded agreeably. If he continued to come through the Floo and obviously be travelling with Dumbledore, the Order might question his supposedly being out of Hogwarts. Fawkes bringing him would dissuade that belief rather nicely.

Dumbledore nodded to Fawkes and the bird flew over to Harry's outstretched arm, landing on it gently. "I will see you shortly, Harry."

"Heimrich," Harry reminded the Headmaster, just before being enveloped in flames.

Harry and Fawkes arrived upstairs just outside the curtain that covered Mrs Black's portrait, which was screaming profanities at the top of her lungs.

"You did that on purpose," Harry said to the preening phoenix, then turned to the picture and said, "Do be quiet, madam."

Mrs Black fell silent when she saw the crest on Harry's right breast, eyes widening. She smiled at him after a moment and said, "Lord Kaizer, I presume?"

"You presume correctly, madam," Harry agreed. "Now, if you would keep your silence, I would much appreciate it." His easy smile chilled and he added, "Lest I find a way to burn you down."

Mrs Black shrank back into her portrait and didn't say another word. Harry drew the curtain over her picture with a smile and turned to find Sirius next to him, watching him curiously. "Lord Kaizer," the man said.

Harry inclined his head. "Lord Black."

Mrs Black's portrait slammed open and she snapped, "He's no Lord Black!"

Harry's eyes flashed angrily and he turned his wand on the woman, snapping, " _Fabrica Eradico_."

The woman gasped in horror, then was gone, leaving behind an empty frame. Harry had looked up a spell that might destroy her in the Black library over the Christmas holidays, but it had been Dark, and he hadn't been brave enough to cast it as Harry Potter. As Heimrich Kaizer, however, that was perfectly acceptable.

Sirius swallowed nervously. "Thank you, I guess?"

Harry shrugged, putting his wand away. "I understand that you dislike Dark magic, Lord Black, but even you have to acknowledge that it is sometimes the only way."

Sirius shook his head. "Doesn't mean I'd ever use it. I've seen what it can do to people."

Harry cocked an eyebrow. "That's not Dark magic, Lord Black, that's inbreeding," he commented, making Sirius' lip twitch with a smile. "Now, I was invited to a meeting, but the phoenix seems to have overshot." He glanced at Fawkes, who was sitting easily on Harry's shoulder.

Sirius chuckled and motioned for Harry to follow him, then led him to the kitchen, where most of the Order was already assembled, including the Weasleys, Dumbledore, and Snape. Almost the entire room turned to look at the newcomer with varying degrees of suspicion, and Dumbledore said, "Lord Kaizer, welcome."

"Headmaster," Harry replied neutrally, as if he hadn't seen the man moments before.

Sirius easily took his usual seat, saying, "Lord Kaizer finally got rid of my mother."

Everyone seemed to adopt looks of respect and Harry snorted before taking the open seat next to Dumbledore that the man was subtly directing him to.

Once Harry sat, Dumbledore said, "Lord Kaizer has asked to join the Order, and I gave him my agreement. I would like you all to treat him with the same respect as you do your fellow members."

"In spite of my Dark nature," Harry agreed drily.

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed, shooting Harry a mild disapproving look. "Now, does anyone have anything new to report?"

A couple of the aurors in the Order reported on the Ministry's movements, all nodding to Harry when they mentioned the actions being taken in the Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Snape also gave a report on Voldemort's actions, which weren't many, as the man was still collecting his forces.

Harry frowned at the news of Voldemort's inaction, mentally noting that they needed to do something about that. Harry was, by no means, prepared to meet up with Voldemort, but perhaps he could find a way to draw the man out into the open?

"There's also the matter of Potter," Snape said, voice interrupting Harry's thoughts. "The Dark Lord is talking about trying to draw the boy to the Department of Mysteries, since only he and Potter can touch the orb."

"So he wants Harry to get the prophecy and have someone else bring it to him," Dumbledore mused. Snape looked immediately to Harry at the mention of the prophecy, but the boy didn't show any surprise, only a well-hidden spark of sorrow.

"Prophecy?" Harry inquired, playing his part as the unaware Lord Kaizer.

"In the Department of Mysteries," Dumbledore explained, "there is a prophecy which Voldemort wants his hands on, one which tells of Harry Potter, the person who can bring him down."

Harry nodded in understanding, thinking hard. Voldemort wanted to draw him out so Harry could get the prophecy for him? Well, wasn't that ironic, since Harry rather wanted to get the man out into the open himself. But Voldemort would probably send his own people, rather than coming himself, and that wouldn't really work, though it was certainly a way to capture a bunch of Death Eaters.

"Some tea, dear?" Mrs Weasley asked Harry softly from behind him, a teapot in one hand.

Harry smiled at her and held up the cup which had been at each space around the table. "Please," he agreed. Mrs Weasley poured him some with a smile and Harry whispered, "Thank you," when she finished.

"If only I could get Severus to be so polite," the woman said with a wink before moving on.

Harry smiled to himself and sipped at his tea while the Order discussed the prophecy issue, and how they would keep Harry from going after said prophecy. Next to him, Dumbledore shook his head hopelessly at their various suggestions, while Snape just sneered at the lot of them, considering that the boy in question was sitting at the table with them.

Finally, Dumbledore cleared his throat and said, "Heimrich, you've been rather quiet."

Harry swallowed the tea he'd just sipped and said, "Why not ask the Potter boy himself? Or at least tell him Voldemort's plans. Perhaps, if he's aware of the possible threat, he'll be less likely to fall for the Dark Lord's tricks."

"But Harry's just a boy," Mrs Weasley said.

Harry sighed and shook his head in disgust. "You cannot both coddle the child, and rest the weight of the future on him. From what I've seen and heard about the Potter boy, he's been through more than enough in his life already, and he should be granted a little more responsibility. Tell me, how many times must he face Voldemort before you'll believe him capable of making his own choices?"

The Order was silent in response to the question, and Snape had to hand it to the boy, he had a point, and he'd delivered it in a way that would make any Slytherin proud, rather than throwing a tantrum like a Gryffindor. Perhaps the Hat had been right about Potter managing in the House of Snakes.

After that, the meeting was filled with discussions about the guarding of the prophecy and intelligence gathering. Everyone carefully stepped around any mention of Harry, leaving the decision of what to do about the boy up to the Headmaster.

When the meeting was finally over, Harry had Fawkes take him back to the Room of Requirement, where his friends were waiting for him.

"So?" Hermione asked, "How'd it go?"

Harry groaned and dropped into the empty chair, downing the potion that would reverse the changes to his age. "They're mad, the lot of them. And they spent five minutes arguing whether or not they would tell me about Voldemort wanting me to go to the Department of Mysteries and get the prophecy sphere so his men could take it and he could find out what it said. Great Merlin."

Ron snorted while Hermione shook her head. "What did you say, then?" she asked, correctly guessing that he'd eventually had his say.

"I told them to tell me about the threat, since I may be a child in body, but hardly in soul, and I can make my own decisions without their input, thanks. Asked them how many times I had to face Voldemort before I was going to be old enough to make my own choices."

"Oh, I'm sure they took _that_ well," Ron commented.

"It shut them up," Harry replied darkly. "Ah, speaking of shutting up – I got rid of Sirius' mum's portrait, since she was irritating me."

"Brilliant! How'd you do it?" Ron asked, sitting forward. Hermione looked rather curious herself.

"The Art Destroying Curse," Harry replied. "Found it in one of the books in the Black library over the hols, but I could hardly use it as Harry Potter, yeah?"

"Practising Dark magic, now?" Hermione replied.

Harry shrugged. "I'm half Dark, Hermione. Might as well know how that half feels."

"Any good?" Ron asked uncertainly.

Harry sighed and shook his head. "Feels just like casting Light magic, guys. Maybe if I cast a certain amount of it, it'll start to affect me negatively, but for right now it just feels like I'm casting an _accio_ or something."

Hermione shrugged while Ron's nose twitched in suppressed disgust. "Well, as long as it's not causing trouble for you," Hermione decided.

Harry nodded, then sat forward, face serious. "From what Snape was saying at the meeting, Voldemort's still biding his time and collecting followers. I was thinking, perhaps we should call him out, so the world can see for sure he's back. This prophecy thing might be the perfect excuse, but I doubt he'd come himself."

Ron rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. "Want me to think on it?"

"Yeah."

"Harry, this sounds like a bad idea," Hermione cautioned.

"Do you have a better idea?" Harry demanded. "Because it's looking to be the only way we'll be able to draw him out at this point."

Hermione sighed. "No, I don't. Will you at least tell the Headmaster before you put this into effect, so he and the Order can be ready to back us up?"

"Definitely," Harry agreed. "I don't have a death wish, you know."

"Could have fooled me," Hermione replied drily, then smiled to show she didn't mean anything by it.

Harry grinned back, then got up to change behind the curtain the Room had provided. Behind him, Ron and Hermione started bouncing ideas for getting Voldemort out in the open back and forth.


	5. DoM

After Harry's second Order meeting the Thursday after break, the three friends were sitting again in the Room of Requirement, working on some homework. Seemingly out of nowhere, Harry suddenly asked, "What are you two planning to tell McGonagall during your career advice?"

"Auror," Ron immediately said, grinning.

Hermione sighed. "Don't know. I can't exactly say, 'I intend to come out to the world as Queen Perdita and make everything better,' now can I?"

Harry's lips twitched. "I know what you mean. It seems almost wrong to go in there, saying I intend to be an auror when I not only don't intend to be one, but I'm also pretending to be the very thing I'd have to work to destroy in that position."

Ron tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, Hermione could say she's planning to get a job in the Ministry somewhere? Maybe in the Magical Creatures department?" He grinned at her and ducked the half-hearted swat she aimed at his head. "And Harry could say he wants to teach Defence, yeah? I mean, you're really good at it, mate."

Harry blinked at that and cocked his head to one side consideringly. "You think so?"

"Mate, I _know_ so. You're bloody brilliant! I've learned more from you in the past seven weeks than I have my entire career here at Hogwarts."

"Not that it's saying much," Hermione added drily, then smiled at Harry. "But Ron's right, Harry; you're a wonderful teacher, as long as you're teaching something you're passionate about."

Harry frowned thoughtfully. He'd wanted to be an auror since the fake Moody had suggested it to him last year, but after learning about his inheritance and starting to practise the Dark Arts, he'd realised that he didn't really want to go around smiting other Dark wizards. He understood the magic in a way your average Light wizard wouldn't be able to, and as a half Light/half Dark wizard, he had a unique perspective on both worlds, more so because he was the supposed saviour of the Light wizards.

Being a teacher was something he'd never before considered. He had to admit, he was enjoying teaching his friends about Defence, and the feeling he got when someone who'd been struggling with a spell got it was the best thing in the world.

Realising his friends were still watching him curiously, he smiled and said, "Thanks, Ron," and went back to his essay.

Ron and Hermione traded smiles and followed suit.

-0-0-0-

"Alright, Potter," McGonagall said as he sat down in front of her desk, "what are your plans for the future? Auror?"

Harry took a deep breath and shook his head. "No, Professor. I've decided to try applying for the Defence position when I graduate."

McGonagall looked up, surprised. "What brought this on, Mr Potter? I was under the impression you wanted to be an auror."

Harry shrugged uncomfortably. "Well, it was Crouch Junior who first suggested it, and it still sounds like it could be interesting, but after seeing what the Ministry's like on a personal level, I think I'd rather not have anything to do with them. But, I've been teaching a sort of study group for OWLs and NEWTs for Defence because Kingsley is so bogged down, and I really, really like it." He offered he a crooked smile. "Teaching's far more rewarding than catching a bunch of Dark wizards, anyway."

McGonagall's lips twitched and she shuffled through some papers on her desk. "Well, then. Hogwarts teachers are usually expected to have a few years of experience under their belts before applying for a position, but I have a feeling that you've already gathered enough experience during your school years." Harry smiled grimly in acknowledgement. "Other than that, Professor Dumbledore usually looks for an Outstanding on your NEWTs in the subject you intend to teach, as well as at least an Acceptable on your NEWTs for any complimentary classes. For Defence, I'd say those would be Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, Transfiguration and, Charms."

She shuffled a few more papers, then said. "You're doing much better in all your classes this year, Mr Potter. Potions has always been your weakest class – possibly, I will admit, because of Professor Snape – but even there you should manage an Acceptable for your OWLs. However! Professor Snape only excepts Exceeds Expectations students into his NEWT-level classes, so you might have to work a little harder in that class to make it." She offered him the briefest of smiles and added, "Hagrid, Professor Flitwick, and I all accept students with an Acceptable on their OWLs, but I would like to see you make an Exceeds Expectations, because I _know_ you can."

Harry grinned. After all the studying he'd been putting in to prepare for his OWLs, he was pretty sure he could manage that E on all of his classes, even the ones he wouldn't need for becoming a teacher. "I'll do my best, ma'am."

McGonagall nodded. "Very well. I will mark your decision down. It's not required that you tell me if you decide to not become a teacher, but you certainly may."

Harry nodded and stood. "I doubt it'll become an issue, but I'll keep it in mind. Good afternoon, Professor."

"Good afternoon, Potter," McGonagall replied as Harry walked out of her office.

-0-0-0-

By the middle of May, Hermione had mastered apparition. Harry and Ron weren't surprised that she'd managed it, and Dumbledore had congratulated her heartily before reminding her that, as she was still underage, it was, technically, illegal for her to apparate. She'd just shrugged and said, "If anyone questions my knowledge, I'll just say I learned it by asking some older students about it." The other three had laughed at that, since it was entirely plausible that she would have done just that.

With Hermione's help both inside and outside of the lessons with Dumbledore, Harry was able to master the spell by the first week of June. Ron ended up studying a bit on his own in between the OWLs and mastered the spell by the last day of the tests.

Exhausted after a week of testing, the three friends decided to take a nap by the edge of the lake, under one of the trees. Other fifth and seventh years were doing the same thing, and a few of them came over to thank Harry for his help, stating that they were sure they'd passed their OWLs or NEWTs with his help.

Harry eventually dozed off after the torrent of thankful students had died down and woke about an hour before dinner with a moan, feeling as if his head was on fire.

"Harry?" Hermione murmured, glancing up from a fiction book she'd found in the library earlier in the week. She paused, blinking at his forehead, then jerked forward, placing her hand against his scar.

Harry flinched back, hissing at the pain and reached up to touch the scar. The hand that came back was bloody and he groaned. "Bloody brilliant."

"At least he waited until after the OWLs," Ron commented sleepily from Hermione's other side, having woken when Harry hissed in pain.

"I thought Occlumency was supposed to _keep this from happening_ ," Harry whispered furiously, taking an offered handkerchief from Hermione and placing it against his head. A thoughtful cooling charm from the girl helped lessen the burning and Harry felt himself relax briefly. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Hermione replied.

Ron hummed thoughtfully. "Harry, weren't you looking for a way to bring him out into the open?"

Harry and Hermione both turned suspicious looks on Ron. "Yeah?" Harry replied.

Ron shrugged and grinned. "Why not see what he wants? You can block him from seeing things you don't want him to know about, right? So find out what he wants, then kick him back out."

Hermione looked worriedly at Harry, who seemed to be considering the suggestion. "Harry..." she whispered.

Harry winced as the pain briefly spiked, then sighed and nodded. "Hermione, if I don't let him in, this is going to keep happening."

Hermione swallowed and chewed on her lip for a long moment before nodding. "We'll be right here," she said.

Ron nodded and moved around the tree until he was on Harry's other side. He squeezed Harry's shoulder. "You'll be fine, yeah?"

Harry nodded and closed his eyes as Hermione's hand slipped into his. Sinking deep into his mind, he cracked his mental barriers open, letting in the image Voldemort had been shoving at him. He cried out briefly in pain at having his mind open to Voldemort's magic before slamming the barriers shut again and piling more defences on them. Once the angry magic had fully dissipated, he turned to the "vision" the man had sent him and fell into it, letting it wash over him.

Harry watched the vision play, then let himself drift back out into the real world, thinking about what all it meant. While Sirius was certainly rash enough to run out of his house, Harry honestly didn't think his godfather would get caught and held prisoner; Sirius was too likely to fight to the death before he let himself get captured by Death Eaters. And if Voldemort had gone to the prophecy room himself, he wouldn't have shown that to Harry, because he would have the prophecy. Which meant that whole thing was fake.

And if it was fake, Voldemort was trying to draw Harry out. Any Gryffindor would have let themselves be drawn out like that, too, but Harry was becoming far too familiar with his Slytherin side to allow Gryffindor brashness to control his actions.

When Harry opened his eyes, he realised he wasn't alone with just Hermione and Ron anymore. Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall had joined them, each looking as worried as the next. When Harry looked questioningly at Hermione, she smiled sadly and said, "You screamed, and a couple of the students nearby woke. When they asked what they could do to help, Ron told them to get the Headmaster."

Harry nodded and glanced around the tree. He recognised the faint shimmer of a privacy barrier, so said, "Voldemort's trying to get into the Department of Mysteries. He sent me an image of them torturing Sirius in the prophecy room." He winced when Hermione dabbed a corner of her bloody handkerchief against his scar. It was still throbbing from the after affects of having his mind open to Voldemort. "He's not happy that I figured out Occlumency," he added, having figured as much from the feelings of anger coming at him, then glanced at Snape. "Be careful. He'll probably ask you how I learned it. He seemed to be under the assumption that you were keeping me from learning."

Snape sneered at him. "I have already told him we discontinued our lessons when it appeared you weren't able to learn such a dedicated art. Anything you learned, you must have found on your own." He glanced at Hermione and the message was clear: If Harry had learned anything, it came from Hermione.

"You told him about the prophecy?" McGonagall asked Dumbledore.

Dumbledore sighed. "Lord Kaizer made a good point during that first meeting; Harry deserves to know. And, because he knows, he's not going rushing off. Are you?" He eyed Harry sternly.

Harry and Ron traded looks and Ron said, "Actually, sir, we're hoping to use this to draw Voldemort out into the open."

"The Dark Lord would never be so foolish as to go to a place where he knows he could be found," Snape snapped.

"What if he thought going was the only way to give him the prophecy?" Harry asked, a plan forming behind Killing Curse eyes. "He'll send some of the Death Eaters, yeah?" When Snape grudgingly nodded, Harry said, "What if Hermione, Ron, and I went in alone, grabbed the prophecy and drew them out. Could the Order portkey to our position?"

Dumbledore nodded, looking thoughtful. "Should be able to, yes. We might have to give you an amplifier, since you'll be so deep in the Department of Mysteries, but we can probably link that to a signalling device of some sort that you can activate to bring us to you."

"How would this bring You-Know-Who out into the open?" McGonagall demanded, looking quite displeased with this turn of events.

"If his people can't get the prophecy, he'll have to do it himself," Harry replied with a grim smile. "After all, the only people there that would try to stop him would be the Headmaster or myself, and Voldemort knows I'm no match for him. Professor Dumbledore might cause some concern, but if he can draw me away from the Headmaster with the prophecy, he can just take it."

"And you would find some way to make him think you were going along unknowingly," Ron said, catching on. "What would you do when you saw him?"

"Smash the prophecy?" Harry suggested, shrugging.

"Might I suggest," Snape offered drily, "having some form of back-up with you from the Order? Perhaps Kaizer, if he feels he can stand against the Dark Lord." He curled his lip at the mention of Harry's alternate identity.

"That could work out," Dumbledore agreed. "And I will join you after ten minutes or so, if that's acceptable?"

Harry nodded. He was pretty sure he could hold off Voldemort for ten minutes or so, especially if there were two of him. "It's sound," he decided. "And who's going to warn the Ministry that they have Death Eaters running amok in their building? I'm assuming this will have to be at night."

"They should be warned by a mass portkey," Dumbledore commented thoughtfully. "But if they're not, I'll have Severus and Minerva fire-call Cornelius about ten minutes after we've portkeyed out." He glanced at the two professors and they both nodded their agreement. "It's five o'clock now. I'll call a meeting after dinner, at seven, and I'd like you three to attend so we can finish hashing everything out," Dumbledore decided.

"Mum's going to throw a fit," Ron said with a groan.

Dumbledore smiled at that. "Leave your mother to me, Mr Weasley. I'd like to see this underway by seven-thirty."

"We'll see you at seven," Harry replied, carefully rising. To either side of him, Ron and Hermione also rose. With one last nod at their professors, the three teens started towards the school.

"This should be fun," Ron commented far too cheerfully.

Hermione shook her head, then looked at Harry. "Will Kaizer bring Her Majesty or Rögnvaldr with him, do you think?"

Harry considered the request. "I don't know how well Her Majesty and Rögnvaldr would manage against Voldemort, but I agree that it might be fortuitous for them to be seen fighting with the Order against Voldemort's people."

"I doubt Rögnvaldr or Kaizer would allow Her Majesty to fight against Voldemort, anyway," Ron offered with a grin. Hermione huffed while Harry rolled his eyes in amusement.

-0-0-0-

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione got up to Dumbledore's office, their alternate identities were already there, looking rather out of place with the rest of the Order milling around, especially since the Order gave the party a wide berth, nodding their heads politely to Perdita when they noticed her looking their way.

Kaizer noticed the Trio walk into the office and whispered something to his companions before walking over to the three teens. "I've been told to stick close to you during the fight, Potter," he said shortly. " _Don't_ attempt to lose me."

Harry blinked and nodded. "Yes, sir."

"A valid warning," Snape said, coming up behind the students and making them all jump. He sneered at Kaizer, who raised an eyebrow at him. "Be careful, Kaizer; you may lose him without him trying."

Kaizer smiled coldly in reply. "Don't worry, Snape, I'm perfectly capable of keeping track of a teenager."

Mrs Weasley chose that moment to come over and start trying to talk the three teens out of it. While she was busy focusing on her son, Kaizer drew Harry to one side and whispered, "Follow Bellatrix. She'll take the lift up to the atrium, and you'll grab the next lift before I can get there. Just keep going and be _careful_ while you're alone with her. Feel free to botch a Cruciatus Curse, if you want." His lips twitched.

Harry cocked an eyebrow at him. "Why am I botching a Cruciatus Curse?"

Kaizer smirked. "Because of what she does before she flees. But remember, it's not fatal. Just act like you would if you were a Gryffindor, okay?" The false reddish-brown eyes danced with concern.

Harry gripped Kaizer's arm and nodded. "I'll manage. Was it bad?"

Kaizer grimaced. "You might get upset and act like a Gryffindor without being told to," he replied.

Harry winced. "Right."

Kaizer sighed and drew Harry into a hug, closing his eyes for a long moment. "We'll manage," he whispered, then pulled away, once again having the bearing of a Lord. "Now, go back to your little friends."

Harry cocked an eyebrow at himself in amusement, then turned and walked back to his friends. To their questioning looks, he just shrugged. "He's being irritatingly mysterious, as always," he offered drily. "Where'd your mum go?" he asked Ron.

Ron grinned. "Dad dragged her off. But not until after she told me that if I got a single scratch, I'm grounded for a month, starting after the train home."

Harry chuckled and patted Ron's shoulder. "Best watch your back then, eh, mate?"

Dumbledore threw up sparks at the front of the room and everyone fell silent, turning to face the Headmaster. "It's now seven-thirty," he said. "Harry, Ron, and Hermione are going to be taking the floo to the Ministry, where they will be going down into the Department of Mysteries. There, they will grab the prophecy. As soon as the Death Eaters appear, Harry will use this," he held up a device, which Harry hurried forward to grab, "to activate our portkeys. We will fight the Death Eaters until the Ministry comes to help us clean them up.

"While we're dealing with the Death Eaters, Harry will somehow get drawn away from the duel and Lord Kaizer will follow him. Together, they will hold off Voldemort until I arrive to help them shortly after. With any luck, the Ministry will arrive to find Voldemort fighting us in the Ministry and will have to believe he's back.

"Any questions?" When no one said anything, Dumbledore turned to the three teens and said, "Good luck."

"You too, sir," Hermione replied while Ron and Harry just nodded. Together, they walked over to the Floo and went through.

-0-0-0-

As soon as Harry had found and picked up the prophecy, the Death Eaters appeared. "Give it to me, Potter, and no one will get hurt," Lucius Malfoy said from the lead position in the group.

"Like we'd believe that," Ron shot back sarcastically as Harry tapped the device Dumbledore had given him with his wand.

Lucius narrowed his eyes at the little thing in Harry's hand and demanded, "What is _that_?"

Suddenly, the area got a lot more crowded, as the Order of the Phoenix portkeyed in, wands out and spells on their lips. Four Death Eaters were down before they'd even realised what had happened.

"Kill them!" Lucius shouted, sending curses at Harry and his friends.

Harry had already thrown up a shield, having guessed Lucius' response to the attack. He kept the shield up while Ron and Hermione shot off curses from behind it.

Before Harry even realised she was there, Bellatrix Lestrange had come up behind his shield and shot a Dark curse Harry was unfamiliar with at Hermione and the girl crumpled to the ground, convulsing.

"HERMIONE!" Ron shouted, hurrying to her side.

Seeing Rögnvaldr throw up his own shield to protect Ron and Hermione, Harry turned and dashed off after a cackling Bellatrix, shooting curses at her back. He recalled himself saying it wasn't fatal, but _still_. It had been _his_ job to protect her, _his_ job to keep her safe, and Bellatrix had just walked up beside him and shot her in the back.

"I'm going to kill you, Bellatrix!" Harry shouted as he burst from the Department of Mysteries.

She cackled as the lift doors closed, hiding her from sight. He bashed the button as soon as he got there and dashed into the first lift that opened. As the doors were closing, he saw Kaizer hurrying out of the Department, a bleeding cut just under his left eye. Their gazes locked for just a moment before the doors blocked him from sight and Harry saw the promise there that Hermione was fine.

When the lift reached the atrium, Harry was much calmer. "Bellatrix!" he called, stepping quickly out of the lift and behind a fat column. "Where are you, Bella?"

Her mad little cackle came from over by the fountain, so Harry blindly shot a few blasting curses in that direction, smirking when he heard her shriek and dashing out to hit her properly.

Moving out from his cover had been a poor choice, as he was immediately hit with the Cruciatus Curse and slammed to his knees, hissing in pain. As soon as the curse ended, he shot off one of his own, albeit weaker than he could actually cast them.

Bellatrix was still laughing off the effects when the bright green light of the Killing Curse hit her in the back.

Harry gasped in pain as Kaizer helped him to his feet. "Didn't I tell you not to lose me?" the Dark wizard asked drily.

Harry grinned tiredly. "Sorry, Heimrich."

A dry laughter came from the fountain and both Potters looked over to see Voldemort. "Well," the monster said, "at least now I know who taught the boy Occlumency. How about you hand me that orb, Harry, and I promise to make your death quick."

Harry smiled grimly and held out his hand with the prophecy. "This? Sure, catch!" Then he threw it in the air.

Before Voldemort could do more than raise his wand to _accio_ it, Kaizer had blasted it to pieces and was shooting off curses at the Dark Lord, which Voldemort scrambled to block.

Grimly, Harry stepped up next to himself and added a few Light spells to Kaizer's steady stream of Dark curses. Out of the corner of his mouth, Harry asked, "What about the Ministry?"

"I'll go legal before they get here," Kaizer replied with a cold smile. "Split up."

Harry nodded and they split, each walking to opposite sides of the Dark Lord to keep him too busy to retaliate.

When the lift dinged again, Kaizer started using only legal spells, and Dumbledore joined them in sending spells at the Dark Lord. Voldemort kept trying to fight three of them for about two more minutes before some shouts over by the fireplaces announced the arrivals of the Ministry personal.

Knowing he was beaten, Voldemort shot one last angry curse towards Harry and used a portkey to evacuate.

Harry didn't manage to completely dodge the curse and felt to his knees, shuddering, as the Dark spell started shutting down his vital organs.

Dumbledore went to talk to the Minister while Kaizer rushed over to Harry and forced a potion down his throat. As soon as the boy had swallowed, he started feeling better and rested his head against Kaizer's chest. "Thanks."

Kaizer nodded and carefully helped Harry to stand. "Perdita and Rögnvaldr took Ron and Hermione back to Hogwarts not long after you ran off," he murmured while Dumbledore argued with Fudge and sent a team of aurors down to the Department of Mysteries. "I healed her before I followed you; that's what took so long. She'll be fine in a couple hours."

Harry nodded. "You'll have to teach me the spell. And the potion."

Kaizer smirked. "I will. And the potion's from Snape."

Harry nodded again. "Got it."

"Headmaster!" Kaizer shouted, looking over at Dumbledore. When the man looked up at him, he said, "I'm taking my nephew back to Hogwarts."

Dumbledore nodded, the briefest flash of surprise crossing his features.

Kaizer apparated them both to the Shrieking Shack, then helped Harry through the passage. Partway to the school, Harry asked, "Nephew?"

Kaizer grinned. "Isn't it brilliant? We won't have to go back to the Dursleys."

Harry considered the idea. "Does Dumbledore agree?"

"He doesn't have much choice," Kaizer replied with a smirk.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I don't know how well this will work out."

Kaizer shrugged. "Better than nothing, though, right? Because, right now, everyone's expecting you to go back to that muggle hell-hole, but the wards aren't effective anymore, so you won't be safe there. We have to have _somewhere_ to go."

"But, live on my own?" Harry asked, stopping just before the exit under the whopping willow.

"Ask Dumbledore to say at the school," Kaizer replied. "We don't have a lot of choices."

Harry sighed and nodded. "Sometimes, I really hate our ancestor."

Kaizer smiled sadly. "Me too, Harry. Me too."

-0-0-0-

Harry, Ron, and Hermione – back in their normal forms and having sent on their younger selves to fight through the battle again – all sat in Dumbledore's office after the members of the Order had gone home. They'd already shared their sides of the events with each other and had fallen into silence.

Since Sirius had been with the Order group that portkeyed in, he'd been seen by the aurors. But, with no Dark Mark on his arm and the assurances of the various members of the Order and Dumbledore himself, the man was let go with the promise of a proper trial later in the month. He'd been so excited, he'd wrapped Harry in a hug and swung him around the room happily, going on and on about how Harry could live with him now.

"What are you going to do about Sirius?" Dumbledore had asked him before his friends had arrived in the office.

Harry had shrugged. "Live with him? Live at Hogwarts? I don't know. A lot depends on how fairly the Ministry treats this trial."

"You don't have long to decide, my boy," Dumbledore had said. "Term ends next week."

Harry hadn't had an answer to that and his friends had come in before he could form one.

In the silence, Ron suddenly yawned and Dumbledore smiled. "You've all had a _very_ long night. Why don't you head to bed?"

"That sounds like a brilliant idea," Ron decided, jumping to his feet.

"Good night, Headmaster," Hermione said, climbing carefully to her own feet. After getting cursed during the first time they fought the battle and then having to fight again, she was exhausted and feeling stiff.

"Fawkes, could you take the students back up to their dorms, please?" Dumbledore requested of his phoenix.

Hermione shot him a grateful look as Ron and Harry joined her with Fawkes. Together, the four went up in flames and reappeared in the common room of the Gryffindor Tower.

Something clattered to the ground behind them and the three friends, still tense from the fight, spun with their wands out.

Neville, Ginny, and the twins all peeked out at them from where they had taken cover from the phoenix fire behind the chairs and couch. "You're back," Neville breathed.

"Where _were_ you?" Ginny demanded.

"The Ministry knows Voldemort's back," Harry said tiredly, putting his wand away. "We're just back from there. Listen," he said quickly as the other three Weasleys opened their mouths to ask questions, "it's been a very long night and we've all suffered some curses tonight, Hermione the worst. Ginny, could you help her to bed?"

Ginny bit her lip and looked at where Hermione was leaning heavily against Ron. The older girl looked a mess, so Ginny simply nodded and helped her friend up to their dorm.

"We're going to bed," Ron said sharply before the twins could say anything.

Neville walked over and held out a hand for Harry. "You look like you could use some help up the stairs yourself."

Harry smiled sadly and took the offered shoulder to lean on up the stairs. Just outside the dorm, he quietly said, "Bellatrix Lestrange is dead, by the way."

Neville froze and turned to give him an incredulous look. "How...?"

"Lord Kaizer killed her," Ron said softly from behind them. "Because she used the Cruciatus on Harry."

Neville tightened his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Let's get you to bed."

Harry smiled and let himself be led to his bed. "Thanks," he told Neville just before the boy left him for his own bed.

Neville looked back at him, eyes burning. "No," he whispered, "thank _you_." Then he hurried into his own bed and drew the curtains shut.

Harry and Ron traded tired looks and climbed into their own beds, asleep before their heads touched their pillows.

-0-0-0-

The next morning, Harry received an owl saturated in Dark magic. He hummed to himself thoughtfully and, after casting a few detection charms for harmful curses, put it in his bag to look at later.

Harry forgot about the letter until he was sitting with Ron and Hermione in the Room of Requirement after classes were over. He pulled out a book to study and the letter fell out of his bag and landed on the floor.

"Didn't you get that this morning?" Hermione asked, having seen the action.

Harry nodded and slipped the letter open. He glanced first at the sender and his lips twitched with a smile. "Interesting," he murmured, glancing back up to the top. The letter was addressed to Lord Kaizer.

"What is?" Ron asked.

"Voldemort's writing to Kaizer," Harry replied, then ignored his friends in favour of reading the letter:

_'Lord Kaizer,  
'I apologise that I was unable to greet a fellow Lord before this. More, a fellow Dark wizard. My friend, for that's what I hope you will soon be, I would like to request your presence in two weeks' time at the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade – I assume you know of it? We should discuss your views on our world, especially since it can't be comfortable working with those daft Light wizards all the time. Aren't they just too... Light?  
'I hope you'll join me,  
'Lord Voldemort'_

Harry tapped his cheek with the letter and glanced at his friends. Seeing their desperate looks, he smiled and handed the letter to them, chuckling when they leaned their heads together to read it.

Harry wasn't surprised that Voldemort saw a kindred soul in him, but he knew better than to think that Voldemort would ever accept Kaizer as anything more than a simple Death Eater; after all, _no one_ was equal to Voldemort.

"No, Harry," Hermione said as soon as she'd finished reading the brief letter.

Harry blinked at her. "No, what?"

"No, you cannot go meet with Voldemort."

Harry shrugged. "I have no intention to do so. He and I want each other dead, and the goals he's striving for are a mockery." His lips curved with a smile. "I'm more entertained by the fact that he considers himself equal – or better, really – to me, because we're both 'Lords'. If I were the sort who believed in rank, I would have been _quite_ insulted."

Ron chuckled. "I bet." He handed the letter back. "What are you going to do with it?"

Harry tossed it in the conveniently placed fireplace behind him and that was the end of that.

-0-0-0-

The last day of term came and Harry was no closer to deciding what to do with his life that summer. Sirius' trial was set for the last Monday of the month – four days from then – so he didn't quite have to decide what to do about Sirius, yet. On the other hand, whether he moved in with Sirius or not, he'd have to explain about his being emancipated, which meant telling his Dark magic-hating godfather who Lord Kaizer was, and Harry didn't think he was quite ready to face Sirius' disgust.

So it was that Harry was sitting by the lake, throwing rocks into the water – the squid was playing with some second years on the other side, so he didn't have to worry about hitting it – pondering life and all his choices.

A shadow fell over him and he looked up to see Remus Lupin standing there, looking awkward. "May I sit?" he asked.

Harry blinked, then scooted over slightly. "Please," he replied, then turned back to the lake and his stone throwing.

They were silent for a long while before Remus said, "Remember when I told you, Lord Kaizer, that you smelled familiar?"

Harry tensed. "Sir?"

Remus turned to look at him, eyes tired. "When you were in the same room with me in both forms, it clicked. You know I have an advanced sense of smell, and all I knew was that you, Ron, and Hermione were in there twice."

Harry let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Figures." He threw another rock into the lake with more force than he'd meant to and it shot up a large plume of water.

Remus sighed. "Why are you pretending–"

"We're not pretending!" Harry snapped, turning Killing Curse eyes on his parents' friend. "Mum was a Kaizer, but she never went to go look. Snape had us brewing a blood-status potion one day in class and the crest came out of my cauldron, so I looked it up. The goblins verified it. Hermione too." He looked away, seeing Remus' sad look. "The last Lord Kaizer put it in his will that if I wasn't being adequately cared for at home, I was to be emancipated at fourteen, so I'm twice a Lord." He laughed bitterly. "A Lord of Light, and a Lord of Dark."

Remus sighed again. "Harry..."

"You don't believe me," Harry said flatly.

Remus shook his head. "You wouldn't have been able to wear the ring if you weren't. No, I'm confused as to _why_. Why have you and your friends decided to take on these mantles? You're still students."

Harry shrugged. "Do you know the story of the original royal family?"

Remus nodded. "My father told it to me when I was a boy – most wizarding parents do."

Harry cracked a crooked smile at that. "And you know how corrupt the Ministry's become. It has to be stopped, especially since Voldemort's back. We need a strong government in place to face down Voldemort and his followers. We can't replace the Ministry now – as you pointed out, we're still in school – but coming out of nowhere when we graduate, especially if it's after the war's over, won't get us a lot of support. We agreed that coming out now, when the Ministry is proving exactly how useless they are, was the best choice."

Remus sighed, but he had to admit that Harry had a point. He smiled at Harry and said, "Slytherin?"

Harry grinned. "The Hat tried to put me in there my first year."

Remus chuckled. "Did the same thing to Sirius, but he fought with it."

"Sirius was almost a Slytherin?!"

Remus nodded. "Of course. You've seen where he grew up. Even though he hated it, some of it still rubbed off on him. While we were in school, he'd occasionally cast a Dark spell without thinking about it, because that was how he was raised."

"So, does he hate Dark magic, or his family?" Harry asked.

Remus considered that for a moment before saying, "I think he hates what most Dark witches and wizards stand for in the world, especially these days; their pureblood beliefs. You'll notice that there aren't any Dark witches or wizards that aren't pureblood."

"There's Voldemort and me," Harry replied, cocking his head to one side.

Remus quirked a grin. "As you pointed out, you're only _half_ Dark." He rubbed at his chin. "Severus is also Dark and a halfblood, now that I think about it."

" _Snape_ is a _halfblood_?" Harry said disbelievingly.

"He had a horrible time of it for his first few years because of his blood status," Remus agreed. "But his mum was a really powerful Dark witch, and that sort of followed on to him." He eyed Harry for a moment as the boy considered this information. "He and your mother were good friends in school. Until he took the Mark summer before our seventh year."

Harry blinked and looked away. Considering everything he knew about his mother's kindness, he was willing to believe all that. It was hard to believe that Snape had ever had friends, but then again, if Harry had been in Slytherin and eventually taken the Dark Mark because everyone else he knew was doing it, only to lose the only friend he'd ever had at the hands of his own master...

Yeah, Harry could understand why Snape was such a bastard. Especially if his own choices destroyed that single friendship, and, possibly, was the reason Lily ended up marrying James.

"Harry?"

Harry smiled at Remus. "I'm.... not sure how to tell Sirius," he said, changing the topic to what had been bothering him for a week. He scratched his cheek. "I mean, I don't, technically, need a guardian, but I'm not sure how to tell him that without telling him about my being Lord Kaizer. And he _really_ doesn't get on with Lord Kaizer." After the first meeting of the Order Harry had attended, Sirius seemed to have decided that Lord Kaizer was along the same lines as Snape, and treated him accordingly. Harry wasn't sure _how_ he'd managed to make his godfather hate him, but he had.

Remus rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. "Sirius doesn't get on with a lot of people in the Order, you may have noticed. It probably has something to do with him having to be cooped up in that house all the time. It makes him prone to shouting." He smiled reassuringly at Harry. "I think – and this is just conjecture – that Sirius doesn't like Kaizer because of how you told them all off for treating Harry as a boy, when you're not. Well, you are, but..."

Harry chuckled. "Yes, I know. I'm still a kid in a lot of ways. Fighting Voldemort in the atrium reminded me of that." He rubbed his shoulder, where the spell Voldemort had hit him with still tingled. "If there hadn't been two of me, I would have died. Probably because of Bellatrix, actually. And..." He paused and looked away, swallowing. "In the end, when I got hit with that last spell..." He bit his lip. "I never had anyone to comfort me before," he finally admitted softly. "I've always had to rely on myself. It was so strange, having someone to help me up, and knowing it was still me. I wanted..."

"You wanted a parent," Remus said, understanding.

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Never had one of them, before." He laughed weakly. "Made me feel like such a little kid. And then Kaizer – me, whatever – called me his nephew. And I was both elated and heartbroken all at once, because I knew I'd never have anyone who would actually call me their nephew like it was a good thing. It's like, I was letting myself live a dream, but that's all it was. It was the most wonderful thing, but also the most terrible." He smiled sadly at Remus. "I don't know. How'd we get on this topic?"

Remus chuckled and drew Harry into a half-hug, which the boy relaxed into. "You'll always be my cub, Harry, if it makes you feel any better."

Harry nodded. "Yeah."

"And I have a feeling that Sirius will still accept you as his godson and care for you like he should have, no matter how old you are or who you're acting as."

"You think so?" Harry asked hopefully.

"He knows so," a rough voice said from the other side of the tree.

Harry had his wand in his hand and aimed at the other man before he realised it was Sirius, watching him with a haunted expression. Harry put his wand away, shooting Remus a faintly betrayed look.

Remus smiled. "Hermione told Dumbledore you were having trouble deciding what to do about this summer, and I'd already told him my suspicions about you, so he suggested I bring Sirius and talk to you. Well, and make Sirius swear he wouldn't do anything stupid."

Harry huffed. "Queen or no queen, I might just murder Hermione for meddling."

Remus and Sirius both chuckled at that. Then Sirius scooted over and hugged Harry around the shoulders. "So!" he said cheerfully, "what do you say we go on a long holiday to America? Get away from Voldemort for a bit and just enjoy ourselves?"

Harry cocked an eyebrow at his godfather. "Friends in England, remember? Only one who can destroy Voldemort? I don't know how relaxed I get with those sorts of worries."

Sirius sighed. "Just a week, then? Come on! I know you've never left the country, and it _would_ be nice to get away from all this, right? At least for a bit."

"You could see what other Ministries are like," Remus added, "decide if you want to completely abolish the English Ministry or just tear it down and rebuild it."

"That's more Hermione's forte then mine," Harry replied.

"But you're one of her advisors, right?" Remus replied. "And doesn't she usually leave the country for a couple weeks over the holidays with her parents, anyway?"

"Yeah, they usually go to France," Harry agreed.

"Excellent!" Sirius crowed. "Hermione can go decide if those stuck up pigs are any good as a Ministry, and _you_ can go see one that works!"

Harry cocked an eyebrow. "I was under the impression that the government of America was doomed to die young."

"The muggle government, maybe," Sirius agreed. "But the magical government over there is much better than any here in Europe, not that that's saying much, but there you go. They also don't, technically, fall under the royal family's jurisdiction, but considering the bad blood between our Ministry and theirs over the years, I can't see them not liking the idea of the return of the royal family. You might even find some allies."

Harry's eyes lit up at the thought of finding more people who would help back their eventual change of the European Ministries. Not that most witches and wizards _wouldn't_ back them, as the tale of the royal line was apparently quite ingrained into magical legend, but it would be nice to have someone from outside the countries where they needed to change things to help smooth the changeover. _Especially_ people who were working for a Ministry that _worked_. (And wasn't that a new concept?)

"Hmm... Never knew politics was the way to your heart," Sirius muttered. "The woman marrying you is going to have a hell of a time catching your eye if she's not a politician."

Harry wrinkled his nose. "I don't like politics, thanks. Distinctly _not_ fond of it, in fact. More interested in getting Hermione in a position where she can fix things without occasional uprisings."

"You'll always have uprisings," Remus pointed out drily. "Especially if you're bringing Americans into this."

Harry shrugged. "At least then we'll have an army to fight them down."

"Slytherin, huh?" Sirius said, shaking his head.

Harry and Remus chuckled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't remember about Priori Incantatem until after that scene was finished, and didn't feel like fixing it. Let's just say that, when there are THREE wands with brother components, Priori Incantatem can't happen, because there would simply be too many options. (Especially when two of the wands are the same one. XP)


	6. America

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaim Her:** I apologise in advance for any inaccurate information about Salem, Massachusetts, as I have never been there myself. I get all my info from the internet. (And the god that is Google, without whom I wouldn't know anything. XD)
> 
>  **A/N:** Sorry about the OCs, but it was hard to send them to a new country and NOT have any OCs.

A large part of what made the American Ministry work, Harry found shortly after arriving, was that there were very few purebloods in the States. Most of the population was muggleborn or halfblood and had learned about the American Civil War in their muggle schools. They didn't believe in slavery and they very much believed in equal rights. Non-humans had the same rights that the humans had and a large number of them worked at the Ministry. (A vampire had been the one to greet them at the International Portkey Terminal, since they got in at night, and had patiently helped the two humans figure out how to get to their hotel.)

Their first day – after sleeping until daylight and downing a potion to help them adjust to the new time – was spent with Sirius dragging Harry through the underground shopping mall in Salem, Massachusetts, which could be reached through a variety of entrances, the most popular being the one in Washington Square, by the gazebo. The underground shopping mall was huge, far bigger than Diagon Alley.

"Biggest shopping centre of any magical people," Sirius commented when Harry asked about the size. "Americans seem to like things big, so the American witches and wizards built the biggest shopping centre they could. Runs through-out Salem."

Harry shook his head. "But why _Salem_? Isn't that where the more publicised witch hunts were?"

Sirius grinned. "Of course. And that's why they picked it. What better way to scorn the muggles than to make your largest magical centre right under the noses of the people that used to burn witches?"

"More than just shopping down here," a new voice commented. They turned to see a grinning woman wearing light blue robes with some sort of company symbol on it which Harry didn't recognise.

Sirius chuckled and held his hand out. "Sirius Black," he introduced himself. "And this is my godson, Harry. We're just visiting. Don't mind us."

The woman shook his hand, waggling her eyebrows. "Sirius Black, hm? Aren't you that dude that's had the British Ministry doing cartwheels for the past three years?"

Sirius laughed nervously. "Well, yes. But I got cleared earlier this week. They finally gave me a trial."

The woman blinked. "They didn't– Oh, for the love of _God_! Brits!"

Sirius laughed at that, but Harry just frowned and said, "At least we introduced ourselves."

The woman raised an eyebrow at him and looked him over. "Not properly, I think. You're Harry Potter." Harry glowered at her, earning him a smile. "Well, oh famed lunatic, I'm Ashley Jones, AMP."

Harry blinked, nonplussed, and looked at Sirius. "American Magical Police," the Animagus translated. "They wear the symbol of the crossed wands on the left side of their chest when they're on duty. And he's not loony," he added to Ashley.

Ashley laughed. "No, I didn't think so. More Brit nonsense, probably. Sorry if I offended you." She looked at Harry.

Harry shrugged. "I got used to it," he admitted.

Ashley shook her head. "Brits." Then she grinned at them and said, "Right! More than shopping. The Salem Underground also has housing for the magical population, as well as hotels for guests. You're not staying down here?"

Sirius shook his head. "Last time I was here, there weren't any hotels. Anyway, half the adventure is staying up on the muggle side and sneaking down here like proper wizards."

Ashley sighed. "Brits," she muttered again, and Harry snickered, as he'd had rather the same reaction when Sirius insisted they stay at a muggle hotel. "There's nothing 'proper' about sneaking around. Anyway, other than the International Apparation Point, everything's down here, including the Intercontinental Apparation Point, seeing as how most of America's magical cities have gone to ground, as it were. Americans like building up, so we built down."

"Clever," Harry admitted. "The British Ministry is underground, but everything else is up on the surface. 'S just got Muggle Repelling Charms on it."

"Shockingly, the Brits are who we got the idea from," Ashley replied, motioning the two visitors to walk with her, which they did. "Our Minister at the time, Jacob Adams, went to England for something – never got solved, so far as I know, whatever it was – but he saw your building and thought it was the coolest thing ever, so he came back and hired some people to build him an underground Ministry building. The old building is still in Washington, where the Ministry was at the time, but it's muggle-owned, now, because they found it. Ministry's here, now." She pointed to a set of glass double doors that she'd walked them to.

Harry grinned. "Brilliant!"

Sirius sighed. "Harry, you agreed to wait a few days before we went to the Ministry."

Harry glanced back at him and waved him off. "I can wait. But you didn't tell me they were in Salem."

"I doubt he knew," Ashley offered. "We've only been here for the past five years. And why do you wanna go to the Ministry? Gonna turn your godfather in?" She grinned.

Harry shook his head. "Lord Kaizer heard I was getting dragged to America by Sirius and asked if I could see how you lot work while I'm here."

Ashley blinked. "Lord... Oh! That dude who's popped up with the old royal family, right?" Harry nodded. "You're friends with him?"

"I don't know that I'd call them 'friends'," Sirius muttered, only to be firmly elbowed in the stomach by Harry.

"Kaizer's related on my mum's side, so we're cousins, kinda. Though he calls me his nephew." Harry made a face. Hermione had been the one to suggest the relation after she heard about Harry's claim to being his own nephew. (She and Harry had been forced to kick Ron until he stopped laughing, first.) When Dumbledore heard the idea, he had agreed that it was probably the best way to face down any questions to the claim, as tests would show that to be true.

Ashley nodded. "Well, you can set up an appointment, if you'd like?"

But Harry was already shaking his head. "If it's all the same, I'd much rather catch them off guard, if I can. _Am_ I allowed to just wander through and see how things work?"

Ashley waved her head back and forth in a sort of 'yes, but no' way. "Some sections don't mind civilians, like the Games and Sports and the Transportation departments. My department doesn't mind them so much, but they start to get a bit twitchy if you poke about too much. The DoM and Ministers' office, though, require special passes, which you can get at the front desk, but they're really paranoid about who goes in and why and it's usually a couple day wait. Some parts of the DoM aren't open to the public, though, but that's partially to do with personal danger and partially to keep people from stealing their research."

Harry blinked and translated DoM to Department of Mysteries, then blinked again as everything processed. "Wait, the Department of Mysteries actually _allows_ visitors? And the Minister's office, too?"

Ashley grinned. "I take it it's not like that in the UK."

"Are you _kidding_?" Harry replied. "You can't even get _into_ the Ministry without being cross-examined, and going into the Department of Mysteries or the Minister's office is a dream, even for most Ministry employees."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Brits."

Sirius coughed. "I _did_ tell you the American Ministry works."

Harry shook his head. "Bloody _hell_. But, _why_ are you lot so lax? That's what I don't get."

Ashley sighed and motioned towards a bench near the double doors. Once they'd all taken a seat, she said, "Part of it is that we don't have a Dark Wizard problem. You may have noticed already that very few Old families live in America, and most of us are muggleborn or halfbloods, so we grew up with the stories of Civil War and Women's Rights and such. We believe in freedom, both of the people's rights and the simple right to know what's going on. A large part of our government was built on the same ideals that the American muggle government was built on: Democracy and Basic Rights. Except we're a much smaller community, so it works a bit better for us than it does for the muggles."

"So, because you're built on freedom, you believe in letting people waltz through the Ministry?" Harry asked, still trying to wrap his head around it. Behind him, Sirius shook his head and got up to get himself some ice cream from a nearby vendor.

"I wouldn't say we let them 'waltz', so much. More that we let them see what's going on in the government. Everyone has equal right to see what's happening, so they also have the equal right to say when they see something going wrong. Having civilians about keeps us on our best behaviour, too, so there's none of that embezzlement that goes on in the Brit Ministry. Chances are, you'll get caught out by someone and then you get the boot."

Harry shook his head. "No embezzlement?" he muttered, remembering how Malfoy always seemed to be filling Fudge's pockets. "No paying the Ministry employees to do things your way?"

Ashley grinned at him. "I take it that's a bit hard to believe."

"Not hard to believe so much as hard to imagine in Britain," Harry replied. "Perhaps it's because you _don't_ have the Old families, the ones with the money. And perhaps you've got the lack of truly Dark wizards to help, too." He sighed and rubbed at his face. "I can't see Britain ever working like that. Our way of life is too ingrained."

"Perhaps it's time someone rubbed their faces in their own shit," Sirius suggested, plopping back down on the bench and holding out a chocolate ice cream to his godson.

Harry blinked at him and shook his head, but took the shit-coloured treat without a word.

Sirius grinned.

"Okay, I don't know a whole lot about this royal family you Brits are so in love with," Ashley said, "but isn't it said that they'll be the ones to change everything for the better or some such?"

Harry shrugged. "Prophecy only says they'll bring equality to all," he said. "But, considering how backwards most of Europe is in that regard, it might as well be changing everything."

"Then maybe it's a bit of what he said," Ashley suggested, jerking her head towards Sirius, who was going after his giant ice cream with a vengeance. "Maybe they need their faces rubbed in it."

Harry sat back to consider that, licking at his own cone. Rub their faces in their own mistakes? Wasn't that an interesting concept. An image of Lucius Malfoy face-first in the sewer came to mind and Harry snickered.

Ashley nodded and stood up. "Well, I'll leave you two to it, then. I very much suggest you put your names in for a formal visit later this week, since you're so interested. But, like I said, you can mostly wander at your own leisure. And I'll have desk work for all of next week, so I might see you in there."

"Desk work?" Harry inquired. "You mean you don't always wander the shopping centre?"

Ashley laughed a bit. "Oh goodness, no. We rotate every week. We get enough desk work that someone's gotta be in there, but you've gotta have someone out here, too, to watch out for the petty crime and the stupid tourists." She winked. "But I pulled the short straw for next week, as it were, so I get to sit on my behind for a few days."

Harry nodded. "I suppose we'll see you, then. Enjoy your week of freedom?"

"What's left of it," Ashley agreed, then left them with a wave.

"Can I finish my ice cream before you drag me in there to set a date?" Sirius requested tiredly.

Harry chuckled and relaxed back onto the bench. "We can wait until I finish _my_ ice cream," he promised, glancing over at where Sirius had mostly finished his.

Sirius smiled a little sheepishly and nodded.

-0-0-0-

The rest of that week and the weekend was spent with a great deal of running about and playing tourist. Sirius was as determined to see the muggle monuments about witches as he was to see the magical ones. They both had a great deal of laughs over some of the muggles' ideas of magic, and Harry eventually agreed that looking at the muggle side of America was worth it.

On Monday, Sirius managed to talk Harry out of visiting the Ministry and took him clothing shopping in the Salem Underground instead. He gleefully spent a day spoiling Harry rotten and Harry allowed it, because he knew Sirius needed to know he still had a part in Harry's life; more of a part than just the emotional support. Harry was quite happy to let Sirius play parent for a day, especially since they were often more like best mates when together.

On Tuesday, however, Harry put his foot down. His tour of the more secure areas of the Ministry was set for Wednesday, and he wanted to get an idea of how the Ministry was operated before he walked around with a guide – which was, the welcome wizard told him when he signed up, the usual policy. Sirius did a great deal of whinging and moaning until Harry hit him with a _stupefy_ and changed himself into Lord Kaizer so he could go alone without anyone questioning his lack of guardian.

No one in America really know what Lord Kaizer looked like, and Harry managed a fair approximation of an American accent, so even less people looked at him cockeyed. Harry's trip through the Ministry was quite enlightening, of course, especially when he saw the Non-Human Complaint Department, which was a section of the AMP where non-humans could come to report either their own species attacking humans, or humans who were taking a nasty attitude with non-humans. There was also the ability for humans to report non-humans who were acting out, but those were handled at a different booth and had more paperwork to fill out. (Harry had chuckled at the idea of keeping humans from calling out against the non-humans as often by giving them more paperwork.)

Harry also enjoyed the Muggle Cooperation Department. Because America's magical population was so muggleborn-heavy, they had worked a lot more towards finding a way to make muggleborns more at home in the magical world, something which Harry could very much appreciate. The things offered covered such things as a magical integration program for muggleborns and their families before school and working muggle concepts in to the magical world, such as the telly, computer, and telephone. (Harry couldn't help but think that Ron could have used a crash-course in using a muggle telephone a few years ago.) The department also set standards for the Muggle Studies class, which was a required class in all American magical schools through third year.

All told, Harry couldn't wait until the next day, when he could see how the Ministry acted when they _knew_ someone was watching them.

-0-0-0-

Sirius hadn't been pleased by being stunned, but he'd also been rather pleased to have avoided a trip to the Ministry. Of course, the next day, he couldn't avoid going, so he followed Harry to the Ministry with a rather glum look on his face.

The glum look disappeared when they found Ashley waiting for them at the information desk.

"You're showing us around, then?" Sirius asked as he and Harry had their wands registered. ("Just a precaution," the welcome wizard told them, and seemed almost surprised when neither wizard looked irritated at having their wands checked. Ashley had helpfully commented on how the Brits always checked the wands of guests, which explained far more to the poor welcome wizard than it did to the two British men, who, honestly, could care less.)

Ashley gave them quite the grand tour. She had great fun with it, so far as Harry could tell. (Of course, having seen the pile of papers on her desk the day before, Harry could quite understand why.) She also had a minor sales pitch – that's what Harry called it in his mind – for every other department. Eventually, Harry said, "I _did_ say I was just looking around for Kaizer, right? Not that I'm looking to move to America?"

"Of course you did," Ashley responded, wearing an affronted look. She _did_ stop with the sales pitch, though, so Harry didn't bother bringing it up again.

At the end of the tour, Ashley turned to him – they'd both taken to ignoring Sirius, other than the occasional need to drag him away from something shiny, usually on Harry's part – and asked, "So, what say you about our Ministry?"

Harry hummed for a moment, considering the question. "It's much better than the Ministry back home," he admitted, ignoring the various high-fives going around the AMP department, where they'd stopped. "Though, honestly, that's not saying a lot. The way your lot treat non-humans and muggleborns is kinda what I wish the British Ministry would do, but I also think that a lot of your policies wouldn't work back home."

"Oh?" Ashley asked, waving some of her co-workers away and leading the way to where some doughnuts and tea waited for them at her desk. "Like what?"

Harry snagged a doughnut and swallowed a bite before saying, "Well, your open door policy, for starters. It's _brilliant_ here, because so many of your lot are muggleborn and Light. Back home, such a policy would end up getting things all mucked up. Already does, to be honest. Too many purebloods with too much money and free time go running about, making sure things go their way."

"Like Malfoy," Sirius muttered, mouth full of doughnut and tea.

Harry rolled his eyes at his godfather and gently whacked the bottom of his chin in a reminder to not talk with his mouth full. "There’re too many purebloods who demand their rights back home," the teen continued, ignoring Sirius' sheepish grin and Ashley's snicker, "and not enough muggleborns or halfbloods with the money or magic to back up their own demand for rights. I would like to see a system back home where everyone gets what they're due, but I don't see it happening, especially not with such emphasis being put on purebloods."

Ashley shrugged. "Didn't you say Lord Kaizer's your cousin? On your muggleborn-mom's side? So he'd have to be at least halfblood, right?"

Harry munched thoughtfully on his doughnut, absently smacking Sirius' hand when the man went for the last chocolate doughnut, which Harry had put to one side for himself. Admit his halfblood status? _That_ was sure to go over well. But, then again...

Sirius whimpered when Ashley followed Harry's example and smacked his hand away from her doughnut.

"Padfoot," Harry said with a tired look, "there are three doughnuts left in the box."

Sirius gave him a wounded look. "But they're all _plain_."

"No they're _not_ ," Harry replied, looking into the box. "Look, this one has lemon crème inside–"

" _Lemon_ ," Sirius said with distaste.

"And this one's got powdered sugar all around it."

Sirius eyed said doughnut, then shook his head. "It's almost all been shaken off. And none of it's _chocolate_."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Are you, or are you not, a wizard?"

Sirius silently considered the doughnuts for a long moment, then said, "But I don't know any spells that can make those chocolate."

Harry closed his eyes, mentally asking some higher power for patience, then split his chocolate doughnut and gave half of it to his godfather, who looked rather like Christmas had come early. "That's all you're getting," Harry warned him. "If you want more, you'll have to eat what's in the box. Understand?"

Sirius smiled at him and shoved the whole half-doughnut into his mouth. "Yesh, Mummy."

Harry waited until his godfather had mostly swallowed, then smacked him.

Sirius winked.

Ashley chuckled, then hid her extra doughnut in a cubby with a preservation charm on it when Sirius started eyeing it. "What about non-humans? You said you like how we work with them?"

Harry nodded. "A friend of mine's a werewolf, so I very much appreciate how you work with them," he agreed, "and I'd _love_ to see Britain do the same, but unless something major happens, it'll never work. It's just like the inequality facing muggleborns: the purebloods are just too powerful – and too set in their ways – to allow it. It works so _well_ here..." He sighed and rubbed at his face. They were trying, with the changes they'd already made to the Ministry, but it was so _hard_.

"Britain's got a different idea of what 'Dark' means," Sirius commented. "When someone says 'Dark', I think about torture and violence. About Voldemort. What do Americans think about?" He glanced at Ashley.

Ashley blinked, a little surprised. "When you say 'Dark'?" Sirius nodded. Ashley tapped her chin for a long moment, then said, "I suppose I think of a story my mom used to tell me about this horrible Dark wizard who ruled over America when we'd first come here. He got beaten down by the native wizards, though, the Native Americans. They welcomed the Light wizards and taught us about loving the land."

"Stories?" Harry asked, aghast. "You think of a–"

Sirius covered Harry's mouth with a smile while Ashley shook her head. "Well, yeah. We get mostly petty crime here: wizards stealing a couple of lizards tongues from across the way, maybe a witch selling human fingers. We don't have Dark Lords popping up every ten years. I mean, sure, we've got a couple of magical folk that practise Dark Arts, and we've got a lot of stuff that's illegal, but most of it stays private and we never hear about it."

Harry shook his head. "Boy was _I_ ever born in the wrong country."

Ashley and Sirius – as well as the few AMPs who had come to listen to their conversation – all chuckled a bit.

Harry rubbed at his face beneath his glasses, feeling far too old. Would a Ministry like America's even _work_ in Britain?

"So, do you think of vampires or werewolves when I say Dark?" Sirius asked, curious.

Ashley shrugged. "Sure, I suppose. But I think of them more in the way I think of Dark wizards and witches: Something that exists, but not something I need to be particularly worried about. They're there, yeah, but they're not going to suddenly go on a killing rampage. Well, I hope not. You plannin' on killing anyone today, Jeff?" she asked one of the AMPs poking his head over her cubicle walls.

The man in question flashed two very sharp teeth at them in a grin. "Dunno. The kid looks mighty tasty."

Harry rolled his eyes, not the least bit concerned, while the others laughed. "Yeah, yeah. You can take a bite if you'll let me practise some of my spellwork for school."

Sirius snorted. "I'd suggest _not_ taking him up on that, personally. He taught a number of his fellows in fifth and seventh year Defence."

"Serious?" another AMP asked, looking surprised. It seemed that, once Ashley had pulled them into the conversation with Jeff the vampire, they all felt willing to join in.

Harry felt his face heat and kicked Sirius under the edge of the desk. "It was just review of what we learned–"

"Or _should_ have learned," Sirius helpfully added.

"–in our first through our fourth years," Harry finished, ignoring Sirius. "Because Kingsley couldn't cover all that and help us with all the stuff we _should_ have learned in our fifth or seventh years from the Toad."

"You must be damn good at Defence to have pulled that off," Jeff the vampire commented. "Even just for review. I've heard some about the quality of Defence work at Hogwarts over the past seven years. My sire still lives there, and he likes to keep updated on any schooling."

"Why?" Harry asked, curious.

Jeff shrugged. "He's got a natural-born son who's about age to join Hogwarts, if he weren't a vampire. He'd like to send Alan to Hogwarts, 'cause that's where _he_ went, but he's probably going to have to come here and stay with me. Which I don't mind, but it's the principle of the thing."

"Has he spoken to Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked. "My friend who is a werewolf went to Hogwarts, even though he was a non-human. And one of our professors right now is a centaur, while another is a half giant. Professor Dumbledore's really good about the whole non-human thing."

"The centaurs live in the forest, so it's not unusual to see them on the campus, and it's actually pretty easy to hide half-gianthood and being a werewolf. Not so with being a vampire."

Harry sighed. "I suppose so," he agreed, recalling what he'd learned about vampires in third year with Remus. "Still, he could try?"

Jeff offered him a lopsided smile. "I'll suggest it to him," he promised.

"Hey! I know a way to shock Britain out of their crazy ways!" Sirius decided.

"Bloody hell," Harry muttered, even as Ashley said, "What is it?"

"Harry can be turned into a non-human!"

Harry kicked his godfather. Hard. "Are you planning on a repeat of your fifth year or something?" he asked.

Sirius flinched. "Harry, that's not what I meant."

Harry cocked an eyebrow at him. "If Moony were here, he'd have cursed you for a suggestion like that."

Sirius huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to comment on that.

Ashley cocked an eyebrow at the teen. "Do I want to know?"

"Our werewolf friend," Harry said, shrugging. "And I doubt my becoming a non-human would endear the Ministry to them, especially with how the Ministry and I have been feeling about each other for a while now."

"It's changed a bit, though, right?" one of the AMPs said. "Now they know that dude is back?"

" 'That dude'?" Harry parroted, amused.

The AMP shrugged. "Yeah. What's his name? Volt-Man?"

Harry shook his head. "Voldemort. And, I don't know, myself. I sort of left for here before the Ministry could make up their mind either way. They were sort of busy finding a new Minister, actually..."

"I hope they pick Amelia Bones, myself," Sirius offered, grabbing the lemon-filled doughnut and considering it with his wand out. "She'd make a brilliant Minister."

"She's not your average pureblood," Harry agreed. "But I have a feeling Britain will think she's too soft. No, I have a feeling we'll end up with Lion Hair."

"Scrimgeour?" Sirius offered, then jabbed his wand into the doughnut.

Harry used his paper plate as a shield from squirting lemon crème, while the others around them either used their wand to block it, or ducked behind the cubicle walls. "Yes, him," Harry agreed with the air of someone far too used to squirting lemon crème to let it phase him.

Sirius squinted at the doughnut. "Well, you pay far more attention to politics than I do," he decided, then set the doughnut down and looked at his yellow-tipped wand. "Oh, bugger."

"Well, they picked someone," one of the wizards around them said, passing Harry a paper while Sirius tried cleaning his wand with magic. Finally, Ashley handed him a napkin, tired of watching him shoot off yellow sparks.

Harry looked to the bottom of the American paper to find the page with the world news and flipped to it. A picture of a man with a lion's mane for hair dominated the page. Harry sighed and glanced down to read the article. " 'Rufus Scrimgeour was sworn in to the British Ministry of Magic as the new Minister last night. His promises for the Ministry include more funding for the Auror program and a harsher response to the threat of You-Know-Who. He's also promised to help back the Chosen One in–' Hold up." Harry frowned at the paper. "Who's this 'Chosen One'? Her Majesty?"

He glanced around at the various AMP looking down on them, then looked to Sirius. The animagus cleared his throat, then said, "I think he means you, pup."

"Codswallop," Harry replied, looking back at the paper. " '–help back the Chosen One in his fight against You-Know-Who in any way he can. The Chosen One, as we all know, is our saviour, Harry Potter, who is said to be a part of a prophecy concerning the defeat of You-Know-Who. He is currently holidaying outside of Britain, and Scrimgeour hopes to meet him with open arms when Harry returns.' "

Sirius snickered. "What say you, Oh Chosen One?"

Harry folded the paper back up and cleared his throat. "Think the Headmaster would be okay with us secretly Flooing into his office from France or somewhere?"

Sirius grinned at him. "What's this? No fan-fare? No speeches?"

Harry just stared at him after handing the paper back to the wizard who'd let him borrow it.

Ashley chuckled. "Well, does anyone know your itinerary?"

"Other than the entire British Ministry?" Harry replied drily.

"So change it," one of the AMP suggested. "Nothing says you can't change when you're going home a bit. Maybe America agreed with you and you decided to stay an extra week."

"They'd never let him get away with it," another AMP said. "Not if they think he's the one who can destroy their big, bad Dark Lord. They'll want to make sure they know _exactly_ where he is."

Harry tapped on the desk thoughtfully. "But the Minister would have to step back if someone more important than him came to meet us."

"This is the Minister for Magic," Sirius pointed out. "There's _no one_ more important than him."

Harry smirked. "There's Her Majesty."

Ashley grinned. "If you're some big hot-shot, it would make sense for her to come and greet you when you return home," she agreed. "Especially if you're supposed to be able to get rid of the dude wrecking havoc on part of her kingdom. Right?"

"Exactly," Harry agreed.

"Time to owl your cousin then."

"Oh, Merlin, not _him_ ," Sirius complained.

Harry kicked Sirius again and rolled his eyes while the others around them laughed. "We should probably be off, then," the teen decided. "If that owl's going to get there in time for them to greet us..."

Everyone agreed to that and stood. Ashley saw the two British wizards to the door and waved them off.

"So, how're you _really_ going to do this?" Sirius asked quietly.

Harry shrugged. "Hermione's back from France tonight. Send her and Ron an owl. If we work this right, there shouldn't be a single hiccup."

"Even though neither of them can do magic?"

Harry smiled. "They can't," he agreed, "but _I_ can."

-0-0-0-

After Hogwarts and the Ministry, the plan for meeting Harry as he returned from America was actually pretty simple to set up. It managed even better once Hermione decided to contact Dumbledore, though Harry wasn't made aware of that addition to the plan until after he'd arrived.

Harry and Sirius came through the International Portkey Terminal to be greeted by a crowd of aurors, reporters, and various Ministry personal, including Minister Scrimgeour. However, leading the party were Her Majesty, Lord Kaizer, and Rögnvaldr, all of whom wore fancier battle robes than their usual dress.

Before Harry could do more than grimace at their welcoming committee, however, lights started going off as the reporters started taking pictures, and Scrimgeour dashed forward to shake Harry's hand, completely ignoring Her Majesty, which made Rögnvaldr bristle angrily. "Welcome home, Mr Potter. Welcome home," Scrimgeour said.

Harry drew his hand back from the Minister and said, "And _you_ are?"

There was a brief moment of silence while everyone seemed to stare in shock at the too-small teenager.

Then Lord Kaizer laughed and said, "He's the new Minister."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You any more effective than Fudge?" he asked the new Minister.

Scrimgeour tried a smile and said, "Much more effective, Mr Potter."

Harry glanced around behind the man at the various Ministry employees, then leaned in a whispered, "You might want to get rid of Umbridge, since she's got a Blood Quill." Then he leaned back while Scrimgeour looked startled and said, "I'll believe it when I see it," in a voice that would carry to the reporters.

Scrimgeour cleared his throat and forced his smile – which had fallen a bit at the corners – back into place. "I won't let you down, Mr Potter."

Harry shrugged. "Okay," he said in a careless voice, then wandered around Scrimgeour to walk over to where his older self and his two best friends stood. Rögnvaldr didn't look very impressed with the Minister, and Lord Kaizer was watching everything with an amused smirk while Queen Perdita wore a blank expression. Harry bowed in front of Perdita and said, "Your Majesty."

"Good to see _someone_ knows how to treat royalty," Rögnvaldr muttered darkly.

"Harry Potter," Perdita replied, smiling at the teen. "Welcome home."

Harry turned to Lord Kaizer. "Hiya, stupid."

Kaizer raised an eyebrow at the teen. "Brat," he replied fondly, then looked past Harry and said, "Lord Black."

"Lord Kaizer," Sirius said, managing to somehow sound both disgusted with the other Lord and accepting of him at the same time.

Harry rolled his eyes.

Before anything else in the way of greeting could be said, a blonde woman scampered forward with a too-happy smile on her face. "Forgive me, Majesty, Lords," she said, performing a quick curtsey, "but we really must know if the rumours are true."

"What rumours?" Harry asked, pulling off confused rather well.

"Why, about the prophecy concerning yourself and You-Know-Who, Mr Potter," she said, eyes wide. "You _are_ the Chosen One, are you not?"

Before Harry could answer, another voice said, "Of course he is." Everyone turned to stare in shock and horror as Lord Voldemort stepped into the circle of on-lookers. "But not for much longer. _Avada Kedavra_!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm a jerk, you get a cliffy. Though it really isn't much of one, all things considered. XD
> 
> Next chapter is the last!! XD


	7. Playing at Life

_Before anything else in the way of greeting could be said, a blonde woman scampered forward with a too-happy smile on her face. "Forgive me, Majesty, Lords," she said, performing a quick curtsey, "but we really must know if the rumours are true."_

_"What rumours?" Harry asked, pulling off confused rather well._

_"Why, about the prophecy concerning yourself and You-Know-Who, Mr Potter," she said, eyes wide. "You are the Chosen One, are you not?"_

_Before Harry could answer, another voice said, "Of course he is." Everyone turned to stare in shock and horror as Lord Voldemort stepped into the circle of on-lookers. "But not for much longer._ Avada Kedavra _!"_

-0-

Harry gasped as Kaizer shoved them both to the ground. "Why does this _always_ happen to me?" the teen complained.

Kaizer grinned. "Because life wouldn't be any fun otherwise."

"Oh, piss off," Harry snapped back.

Both of them got back up to their feet and joined the aurors, Sirius, and the other two members of the royal party in shooting off curses at Voldemort and the Death Eaters who'd been hiding in the crowd. Ministry employees and reporters ran everywhere, screaming their heads off.

"They're going to get _slaughtered_ ," Harry whispered, shooting a shield spell at a woman who didn't see a curse headed for her back.

"There's nothing you can do," Rögnvaldr said, blocking a curse aimed at Perdita. "Trust me."

Harry looked briefly at his best friend's older face, then nodded. "Any chance the Headmaster's going to show up?" he asked, taking down a few Death Eaters with some stunners. It's not like he could use much else, considering he was supposed to be 'Light'.

"He's a bit held up," Kaizer offered drily.

Another body joined their circle and shot off a jet of sickly green light at a Death Eater with was halfway through the incantation to do the same. "We're under wartime laws," Scrimgeour commented when Sirius looked at him in shock. "Killing Curse is legal."

"In that case," Kaizer said, then shot off three of the Unforgivables in a row, taking down three more Death Eaters that were aiming at a group of reporters who'd trapped themselves in a corner. "Harry, can you get to that group?"

Harry considered the distance between their party in the middle of the floor and the group of reporters. "Sirius, come on," he ordered, then broke away and hurried towards the group, blocking a few stray curses that came his way while Sirius followed and Kaizer and Rögnvaldr shot a barrage of curses at Voldemort to keep the man busy.

Once they were standing over the terrified group, Harry and Sirius worked together to throw up a complex shield spell before turning to them. "Why are you lot just _standing_ here?" Harry snapped.

"Cowards, the lot of them," Sirius offered cheerfully, then shot a few spells out at an approaching Death Eater.

"We _should_ just leave you to die," Harry told them, disgusted with the terrified looks most of them were wearing. " _Honestly_. If _I_ can fight them, _you_ can fight them."

"But, the prophecy–" one of them stammered.

"I've only just finished my fifth year, moron. What do you think I can _really_ do against a bunch of trained Death Eaters? Hit them with _expelliarmus_ and hope they don't get back up?" Harry demanded, then turned to shoot off a few stunners. "Prophecies only tell of a _possible_ future, not a certain one. There's nothing saying that I'll defeat Voldemort, only that I have the ability to do it."

That seemed to get through to a few of them, at least, because Harry and Sirius weren't the only ones shooting off stunners anymore. Slowly, the number of stunners grew until Harry was pretty sure there wasn't anyone left on the ground.

Harry let his own spellcasting lull and looked over at where his older self, his friends and Scrimgeour were standing. Two Killing Curses came from their circle every few minutes while Rögnvaldr and Perdita kept up a shield and blocked any incoming Killing Curses with conjured odds and ends. On the far side of the welcoming area, the aurors were against another wall and keeping up a shield similar to what Harry's group had. They, too, were shooting off the occasional Killing Curse while some members blocked return fire and others shot stunners and other Light spells.

Harry watched the Death Eaters' number dwindle and wondered how much longer Voldemort and his troops would last. Almost as he finished the thought, a spell Harry didn't know made his and Sirius' shield shatter and the teen found himself facing Voldemort himself, who was already halfway through the Killing Curse.

"Harry!" Sirius shouted, but he was too far away from his godson to protect him, and Kaizer was even farther away.

As the spell left Voldemort's wand, one of the reporters jumped forward, catching the spell in the back. Harry stared at her as the life left her eyes behind jewelled spectacles and she fell to the ground in front of him.

Harry didn't even have to think as he returned the forbidden spell, baring his teeth when Voldemort blocked it with a twisted smile.

"Harry Potter, using the Killing Curse?" Voldemort said tauntingly.

Harry smiled back, which seemed to confuse Voldemort for a moment, then cast the Skin Sheering Curse, which was almost as illegal as the Killing Curse.

Then their battle really started, Harry and Voldemort trading nasty curse after nasty curse, without caring that what they were casting was illegal and that they had half the auror corps there as witness. (Of course, Voldemort had never cared about witnesses, but Harry probably should have.) And, of course, with that battle having started, everyone else stopped their own spells and simply stood back to watch. Even Sirius was forced to do no more than watch, as the reporters were in his way.

The only man in the room not simply watching the duel was Lord Kaizer. He'd already fought this fight once, and he knew it had to end by Harry's wand, but he also knew that Harry wouldn't be able to get a spell in unless something distracted Voldemort.

Kaizer was watching close enough that he saw Harry's eyes dart towards him and held up three fingers in response to the silent question. Harry nodded and counted down in his head. At three, he skipped backwards a bit.

Voldemort was momentarily confused, but he was still able to turn and block the Killing Curse that flew at him from Kaizer.

He wasn't able, however, to block the one that came mere moments after it from Harry, who had moved around behind him.

Everyone was silent in the aftermath, not quite able to believe it was all over.

Perdita took the chance and, as Kaizer had told her she should, tossed the timeturner to the younger form of her best friend.

As soon as Harry caught it, he spun it back six hours, to a time when this room would be empty, as dawn wouldn't have broken quite yet.

The silence that met him as time stopped spinning was so like the silence he'd just left that Harry had to stop and look around himself. Make sure there weren't still people staring at him.

Once he was sure the place was empty, he apparated to the edge of Hogwarts, knowing he'd need to get something to heal himself after his battle. Now that his adrenaline was leaving him, he could feel the various curses that had hit him during the one-on-one duel.

Rather than go to the possibly empty hospital wing, Harry made for Dumbledore's office, which he knew was always kept open during the summer, in case a member of the Order needed him. At the very least, if Dumbledore wasn't in, he could sneak a few phoenix tears from Dumbledore's collection in his desk.

The gargoyle was open, as expected, so Harry stepped onto the spiral stairs and let them bear him up, impossibly glad for them.

As it was, Harry was so exhausted that he didn't even recognise the voices drifting down from Dumbledore's office until he was already standing in the doorway and could see Snape and Dumbledore. The latter was sitting calmly at his desk while the former snapped about something. It took Harry a great deal of effort to understand what Snape was ranting about.

"...Ministry when Potter's supposed to arrive! Don't you care, even the slightest? Albus!"

But Dumbledore had seen Harry at that point and jumped to his feet, pulling something out of a drawer. "Harry," he breathed.

Snape turned around to look at where the teen stood in the doorway and his mouth snapped shut in surprise. Harry smiled at him tiredly and said, "I look so bad, then?"

"You're not to arrive for another..." Snape started, but trailed off to look at a clock.

"Six hours," Harry offered as Dumbledore hurried over to him and held out a vial. "Thank you," he said, then downed the healing potion. The Dark in him recoiled at the phoenix tears Harry knew Dumbledore had put in the potion, but since it made him feel much better, he didn't mind.

Dumbledore led Harry to a chair and forced him to sit down before saying, "I thought you wouldn't be here for another three hours? Miss Granger seemed to think that's all the time you three would need to get ready."

Harry smiled. "Ah. I should have known Hermione would get in contact with you," he murmured, resting his head back against the chair. "And that would have been fine, but a few things happened during my arrival and when she tossed me the timeturner, I just turned it to a time when I knew there wouldn't be anyone else there."

"Enough with your melodramatics, Potter," Snape snapped. "What happened?"

"Voldemort attacked," Harry said, and ignored Snape's hiss at the name. "We duelled and I killed him."

"You kill–" Snape started, but Dumbledore waved at him to be silent.

"Harry, he's gone?" the Headmaster asked gently.

Harry smiled ever so slightly, then, and nodded. "In about six hours, yeah."

Dumbledore breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Merlin."

Snape glanced at Dumbledore for the okay to speak, then said, "You _killed_ him, Potter?"

Harry tensed slightly, but nodded. "Killing Curse."

Dumbledore closed his eyes helplessly. " _Harry_ ," he breathed.

"I didn't have a _choice_ ," he said defensively. "Kaizer had distracted him and his back was to me and that was the only curse I could think of that would finish the job without him having the chance to fix it. What _else_ was I supposed to do?"

Dumbledore sighed, because he admitted – if only to himself – that Harry _was_ Dark and had fewer compunctions about using _that_ spell than Dumbledore himself would have. Also, the Headmaster hadn't been there, so he wasn't able to say if there would have been another way or not.

Dumbledore blinked. Had he been there? "Harry? Was I there?"

Harry shook his head. "Kaizer said you were otherwise occupied."

"The attack on the Ministry," Snape immediately jumped in. "The Dark Lord has been making rather noisy plans about attacking the Ministry while most of the aurors are off greeting you," he said to Harry's curious look, "and I was just warning the Headmaster about it."

"Of _course_ ," Harry breathed. "He would never be able to finish me with you there, sir," he said, looking at Dumbledore. "So he had to keep you busy. Make noise about attacking the Ministry and when you hear about it, you'll go there. Then, once he knew you were suitably occupied, he attacked my welcoming party. He's never been worried about the Ministry, only you. And if you weren't there, he could kill me. Then there would be no one who could stop him..."

"Brilliant," Dumbledore whispered. "And I would have fallen for it."

"You still will," Harry said firmly. "Sir, _you_ have to go to the Ministry. Because without you there to welcome me back, I can kill him. And Voldemort isn't the sort to make plans so obviously and then not follow through on them, especially if there's a chance you don't hear about it in time. If you don't stop his people at the Ministry, they can still do a _lot_ of damage. More people will die if you don't."

"And how many people died at the battle you've come from?" Dumbledore wanted to know, bright eyes troubled.

Harry shook the image of Rita Skeeter sacrificing herself from his mind. "Too many," he admitted. "If I could find a way to tell the people who came to greet me not to, I would. But I _can't_. And you can't not go to the Ministry."

Dumbledore sighed and nodded. "I know," he said. "But I wish there was another way."

"Me too," Harry agreed, closing his eyes. "Me too."

-0-0-0-

Six hours later, Harry – as Kaizer – stood next to his two best friends and the Minister for Magic, watching his younger self disappear. The taste of the Killing Curse lingered on his tongue and a part of him wanted to be sick.

"Where did he go?" the Minister asked.

As if the man's voice were the counter to the spell that had kept everyone from moving, people jerked into action. Harry tossed a few half-hearted stunners at a group of Death Eaters, but otherwise left them for the aurors to clean up. Even with six hours to think on it, Harry wasn't sure how to face his actions. He didn't _want_ to be congratulated for taking a life, didn't want to come out with the truth of who he was. He wanted to still be able to hide behind Lord Kaizer.

 _"We always face things we don't want to do, Harry,"_ Dumbledore had said when Harry finally admitted his worries to the old man, _"but we must do them, no matter the cost. You wish to hide, I know, but it is time to show the world who you are. Perhaps past time."_

So Harry turned to Scrimgeour and said, "He went back in time about six hours."

Scrimgeour turned to him, something dangerous in his eyes. "And did you teach him all those spells? A Dark wizard such as yourself wouldn't have cared if he was breaking the law."

Harry cocked an eyebrow at the Minister, then waved his wand against his forehead, where a very distinct lightning bolt scar appeared. "I taught myself, Minister," he said to the shocked man, "because it is in my blood to know and use Dark magic. And because I was well aware – even if no one else in this _stupid_ world was – that the _only_ way to destroy Voldemort was by using the very magic he himself enjoys throwing about without care."

"Harry," Hermione whispered, setting a hand on her friend's arm. Ron stood firm on her other side, frowning at the Minister.

Scrimgeour turned, then, on Hermione. "And you must be that muggleborn he always runs around with. What were you thinking, playing at royalty?!"

Harry reached forward and grabbed the front of Scrimgeour's robes before Ron could do more than growl. "Let's get something perfectly clear, _Minister_ ," Harry hissed, breath reeking of Dark magic and false brown eyes flashing with the light of the Killing Curse. "We don't _play_ at being _anything_. Hermione is the rightful Heir ot the throne, as you would know if you had _any_ knowledge of the Old ways. If you continue to disrespect Her Majesty, I will _personally_ end your life. Are we clear?"

The Minister nodded, face pale, and Harry let him go.

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "Harry, you don't need to be so..."

"Drastic?" Ron suggested, nodding to Harry in understanding.

"Oh, good," a new voice said behind Harry. "If the cat's out of the bag, I can do this," Sirius finished, then smacked the back of Harry's head. " _Who said you could throw around the Killing Curse like that?_ " he hissed furiously.

Harry gave his godfather a tired look. " _I_ did. And, anyway, the Minister started it."

"That didn't mean you had to _continue_ it," Sirius replied.

Harry shrugged. "Kept the buggers from getting back up again, though, didn't it?"

" _That's not the point!_ "

Harry rolled his eyes.

The sounds of apparation joined the general noises of cleaning up after a battle and tending to the wounded. It was a show of just how on edge everyone still was that they all turned, wands drawn, on the new arrivals.

"At ease," Dumbledore said with a faint smile, then directed the healers and extra aurors he'd picked up on his way to help where they could. Once satisfied with their assistance, he walked over to where Harry, his friends, Sirius, and the Minister all stood. "The Ministry is secure," he said to the three teens-turned-adults, and they all breathed out in relief.

"Of course the Ministry's secure," Scrimgeour snapped.

"While you buggers were here making a spectacle of yourselves and letting Voldemort know where I was," Harry offered drily, "a group of his people where descending on the Ministry in hopes of distracting the Headmaster. It worked, of course, because we _let_ it work. But, Minister, this should remind you that currying favour with _fifteen-year-olds_ should _not_ be your top priority. _Especially_ not in so public a place."

"If we hadn't known what to expect," Hermione added in a much more gentle tone than Harry had been using, "the Ministry would have fallen and everyone here would be dead, including your 'Chosen One'."

"Would have made a brilliant front page as a start to Voldemort's new regime," Harry added cheerfully.

"Harry," Dumbledore said.

Harry shrugged. "Just making my point."

"It's been made," the Headmaster assured him, then turned to Scrimgeour. "Between what I can guess at from my brief look here and what I saw at the Ministry, all of Voldemort's people were out and should have been either captured or killed." He glanced at Harry to convey how he felt about the teen's usage of the Killing Curse, but Harry shrugged. He and Dumbledore had already agreed to disagree in that regard. "Probably about twenty civilians and Ministry personal were critically wounded or killed, and another forty with minor wounds."

Scrimgeour sighed and looked around them. Most things were being cleaned up as they spoke and everyone had been transported to either St Mungo's or the Ministry's holding cells. "Very well," he agreed, then glanced at Harry. "Now, about Mr Potter's use of illegal Dark magic–"

"I wouldn't, if I were you, Minister," Hermione commented with a frosty smile. "Dark magic or no, Harry's just defeated Voldemort. He's going to be quite the popular person over the next few days."

"Bloody _hell_ ," Harry complained, having not quite admitted that point to himself yet.

"Anyway, anything you do to him now, Her Majesty will undo in two years," Ron helpfully pointed out.

Scrimgeour looked for a moment like he might tell Ron exactly what he thought of Hermione taking over Europe, but Harry's eyes flashed with the Killing Curse and the man backed down. "Of course," he said with a helpless smile.

"So glad we understand each other," Hermione said pleasantly. "Now, I think we should head back to the school to fix ourselves up a bit?" she suggested to her two best friends.

"Agreed," Ron replied, and the two turned to Harry.

Harry rolled his eyes and held out an arm for the other two to grab, which they did, then he apparated them away.

-0-0-0-

 _**'Boy Who Lived Kills You-Know-Who!** _

_'In a stunning battle this afternoon, Harry Potter and Ministry aurors  
faced down against You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters. Her Majesty,  
Queen Perdita, and her two loyal bodyguards were also in attendance  
and helped the Ministry aurors hold back the Death Eaters and the   
Dark Lord himself. Harry Potter, meanwhile, came to the aid of a group  
of trapped reporters and Ministry officials, where he admitted to being  
the Chosen One, but also pointed out that a prophecy only foretells one  
possible future, not a sure one, and he was still only fifteen. Far too young  
for us to expect him to kill You-Know-Who.  
'But kill him he did. When You-Know-Who brought down a shield placed  
by Harry and his guardian, Sirius Black, Harry joined him in an impressive  
duel that will be forever remembered by all who witnessed it, including  
yours truly. Lord Kaizer assisted Harry in distracting You-Know-Who,  
giving our boy hero his chance to curse the Dark Lord without him  
blocking it.  
'You-Know-Who is dead. For good this time. And all his Death Eaters have  
been captured and taken in to custody by the Ministry. All of them await   
trial and, Minister Scrimgeour assures us, **none** of them will be buying   
their ways out of it.'_

-0-0-0-

 _**'One-Year Anniversary: The Magical World Without Fear** _

_'One year ago today, Harry James Potter took on Lord Voldemort  
in a duel to the death and came out on top. Our boy saviour has just  
finished his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
and left to visit America, as he did last year. When he left, he did so  
with the joking promise that, this time, when he returns, there **wouldn't**  
be another epic battle.  
'Even without Voldemort, however, Mr Potter reminds us, there is   
oppression. Mr Potter's best friend, muggleborn Hermione Granger,  
is the top of their class, but still faces hurtful words from her pureblood  
classmates.  
' "Her Majesty wants to change all that," Potter said during a meeting  
with the press shortly before he was to leave for America. "Queen   
Perdita wants to make this world – **our** world – a place where **every-  
one** can enjoy life. She wants muggleborns to be able to go through  
school without having to be mocked by pureblood scions and for  
non-humans to be allowed to attend Hogwarts, same as you or me.  
' "When I visited America last year, I heard about a young vampire  
whose sire would like him to attend Hogwarts, but according to our  
laws, he cannot. Instead, this young man will be attending Salem's  
Magical Academy. Doesn't it seem wrong to you, somehow, that  
 **America** gives rights to people that we ignore? Our colony is so   
much better than us in that way. It's almost **insulting**.  
' "It's time Britain moved beyond the Dark Ages of its past. It's time  
we created a world in which another Lord Voldemort cannot thrive,  
for we'll create a world in which **everyone** can have the same rights.  
The same wonderful future. Perhaps it will be hard to change our  
culture so much, but I think it's time. And so does Her Majesty!" '_

-0-0-0-

 _**'New World** _

_'This was the name our predecessors once gave to a continent across  
an ocean which we can now cross in a tenth of the time it took them:  
America, a world of fresh starts, of dreams come true.  
'For some, America was just that. For the non-humans, America was  
a world where they were equal to wizards and witches. Until only a  
few months ago, America was still the only place they could go.  
'But no more.  
'With her graduation from Hogwarts School, Her Majesty, Queen  
"Perdita" Hermione Jean Granger-Vasil will take on her bloodright  
as the Queen of Magical Europe. As she and her two best friends,   
Lord Ronald Bilius Weasley and Lord Harry James Potter-Kaizer,   
have been telling us for the past two years, they intend to install  
new laws governing the treatment of muggleborns and non-humans.  
All new laws will be issued through the current Ministries of Magic,  
which are remaining in place as more of a formality and "because  
people are comfortable with them," as Her Majesty said.  
'All new laws will have come into effect by September, and Her  
Majesty foresees a rocky time for all of Europe, but she assures us:  
"We can do it. We can change our ways and become a better people.  
A people our children and our children's children can be proud of."  
'When asked about her plans for her future personal life, Her  
Majesty laughed and said, "Oh, goodness! Well, I'm not quite  
sure. We – Harry, Ron, and myself – have all agreed that the  
most important thing right now is seeing to the good of our   
people. I've got **years** to find someone to settle down  
with and make an Heir. And after Voldemort, I don't see many  
Dark Lords appearing for a while. Harry assures me that, if another  
one **does** show up, he'll duel him until he goes away.  
Harry is, of course, the best wizard in all of Europe when it  
comes to Light or Dark defensive magic, so I don't think that will  
be a problem. Why don't we fix Europe, **then** you can  
come back and ask me about future children?"  
'So there it is, wizards and witches. Her Majesty is determined  
to see to our happiness before her own. If that isn't the exact  
sort of person I want to see on a long-cold throne, I don't know  
who would be.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was much shorter than I'd expected, personally. I thought for _sure_ that I'd get another five or six chapters out of it, but Voldemort wanted to be killed – a rare thing, in my writing – so killed he was. And I didn't want to have to come up with a pairing at the last minute, so I couldn't continue too far into the future, or I'd have to face the question of who Hermione was going to marry. And the newspaper articles were to get everything that was happening across without having to spend a lot of time coming up with erroneous information to add to any scenes.
> 
> Also! In the article, Hermione's additional last name was something that just popped into my head. It's the last name, as it were, of the royal family. So she officially added it to her name.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the ride!  
> ~Bats ^.^x

**Author's Note:**

>  **A/N:** I know it's a bit short, but it was the perfect place to break it. Later chapters are all about three times this length.
> 
> Also, as a note: THIS FIC IS FINISHED. It's seven chapters long.  
> You all know how I am about working on a fic and then stopping part-way through? So I've started keeping a bunch of fics until they're finished before posting them. This is one of those. I've been working on it for... I think two years now. Possibly longer.
> 
> Cheers!  
> ~Bats ^.^x

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [as though nothing could fall](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3072080) by [Emmar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmar/pseuds/Emmar)




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